CANBERRA – Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism, the Hon. Kevin Hogan MP, has sharply criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over his handling of looming U.S. tariffs, accusing him of being "missing in action" as Australia faces the threat of new trade penalties from Washington.
In an interview with 2GB’s Mark Levy on Monday, Hogan expressed cautious optimism that Australia might be spared from impending U.S. tariffs on key exports such as agriculture and pharmaceuticals. “There is a bit of movement at the moment that maybe there will be a lot of countries who get exemptions this week,” Hogan said, referring to reports suggesting the U.S. may grant relief to allies not considered to be dumping products into the American market.
He emphasized that Australia is not one of the so-called “dirty 15” countries targeted for trade imbalances and that the United States maintains a trade surplus with Australia. “We aren’t doing reciprocal tariffs. The U.S. likes that, of course,” he noted.
However, Hogan was scathing of the Albanese Government’s diplomatic approach, arguing that the Prime Minister had failed to engage effectively with U.S. leadership. “Other leaders are meeting with [President Trump], but not ours. That says a lot about Albanese,” he said.
When pressed about how a potential failure to secure an exemption could impact the Australian economy, Hogan warned of broader consequences. “It’s bad for world growth… If America starts putting tariffs on other countries who reciprocate, global growth will literally slow down,” he cautioned, pointing to Australia’s heavy reliance on exports. “One in four jobs in Australia is directly related to an export job.”
Asked whether Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would handle the situation differently, Hogan responded emphatically: “He’s not scared of Donald Trump. Anthony Albanese has said he is sh#t scared of Donald Trump – Dutton’s not.”
Hogan argued that strong leadership was needed to secure Australia’s trade interests. “You don’t get a result by being scared of someone,” he added, highlighting Dutton’s stated intention to directly engage with the Trump administration if elected.
The interview also touched on recent polling data, with Hogan acknowledging voter frustration with the Albanese Government. “The feeling I’m getting is they’re beyond disappointment now and they’re really cranky with him,” he said, reflecting on sentiment from his travels across electorates as part of his shadow portfolio.
Hogan also sounded alarm bells about the potential influence of the Greens and Teals in a minority government scenario, saying such an outcome would be “a disaster for business and the economy.”
Looking ahead to the April 2 announcement from Washington, Hogan offered a cautiously optimistic forecast: “I think we’re going to get an exemption because I think the U.S. government is starting to see the folly of the policy.”
The Opposition has made trade and economic management central to its pitch ahead of the federal election, with Hogan reiterating support for policies aimed at reducing cost-of-living pressures and securing domestic energy supplies.
