Minister Says Australia Will Not Commit Troops to Conflict Ahead of Time

‘We don’t discuss hypotheticals,’ Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said.

A soldier looks through the sights of his rifle as part of exercise Talisman Sabre in Rockhampton, Australia, on July 9, 2015. Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Australia isn’t about to discuss hypotheticals when it comes to potential global conflict, according to Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.

Conroy said any situation requiring deployment would be one for the government of the time.

“We don’t discuss hypotheticals,” Conroy told the ABC.

“The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance but by the government of the day.”

The minister’s comments come as U.S. Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby called on Australia to make its position clear on what it would do if a war broke out between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the self-governed island of Taiwan.

Colby’s comments come in response to Sean Parnell, spokesperson for the Pentagon, who quoted a Financial Times article saying the U.S. Department of Defense was “pressing Japan and Australia to make clear what role they would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan.”

Talisman Sabre Underway

Conroy also commented on Australia’s large-scale biennial military exercise Talisman Sabre, which is primarily held between the Australian Defence Force and the U.S. military.

The event’s most recent opening ceremony was held onboard HMAS Adelaide in Sydney on July 14.

Nineteen nations will participate in exercises this year, including the United States, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Tonga, and the UK.

The 2025 event, which runs from July 13 to Aug. 4, will be the largest exercise of its kind to date.

“I will leave it to China to interpret what 19 friends, allies and partners wanting to operate together in the region means to them,” Conroy said.

“But for me ... it is nations that are in search of a common aspiration for peace, stability, a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Prime Minister Focuses on Status Quo

Speaking in Shanghai, while on a mission to talk up trade and tourism with China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said stability was the main aim of his government.

“We want peace and security in our region, we don’t want any change to the status quo,” he said.

“That is Australia’s position today, that was Australia’s position last week, that’s been a bipartisan tradition for a long period of time.”

Albanese did not answer questions on whether Australia would be drawn into a war with the CCP if the United States was pushed to defend Taiwan with military might.

“I have discussions with people which are private and I keep it private,” he said.