By admin 
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticized the Liberal Party for “cheering against Australia’s interest” as uncertainty grows over whether Donald Trump will grant Australia an exemption from upcoming US steel and aluminium tariffs.
Trump had previously said Australia’s case for exemption would receive “great consideration,” but hopes are fading. The 25% tariffs are set to take effect on 12 March unless a last-minute deal is reached. When asked about the issue, Trump recently stated that global trade barriers “will not be modified,” further diminishing Australia’s chances.
While some Coalition members have supported Albanese’s efforts, others, like shadow home affairs minister James Paterson, argue that failing to secure an exemption would be a failure on the prime minister’s part. Paterson questioned why Albanese had not traveled to Washington to negotiate directly, suggesting he might be avoiding being seen with Trump due to political concerns in Greens-held seats.
Shadow foreign minister David Coleman added: “We hope the prime minister succeeds in securing an exemption because Australia needs him to.”
Speaking at a press conference about Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is nearing Queensland’s coast, Albanese assured that Australia would continue pushing for an exemption. However, he accused the opposition of politicizing the issue, pointing out that when the former Liberal government secured a similar exemption in 2018, Labor fully supported their efforts.
“This opposition always talks down Australia’s national interest,” Albanese said. “When Bill Shorten was opposition leader, we backed the government’s efforts to secure an exemption. That’s what responsible oppositions do.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Peter Dutton faced criticism from Labor for attending a political fundraiser at the home of pub mogul Justin Hemmes earlier in the week instead of focusing on cyclone preparations. He later canceled other fundraising events and returned to his Brisbane electorate ahead of the storm.
Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley pushed back, accusing Labor of hypocrisy by advertising budget night fundraisers despite speculation that Albanese could call an election as early as Monday, which would cancel the budget.
Albanese emphasized that “there are no politics” when responding to a natural disaster but rejected calls to suspend all campaign activities due to the cyclone.
Gill Bikram Singh