Australia politics live updates: Labor pledges Aukus boost; former ADF chief calls for ‘red line on climate security’; 19 Covid deaths in NSW

Labor will continue its attempt to outflank the Coalition on national security by pledging to create a new strategic research agency to investigate breakthrough technologies.

The opposition says the plan, to be announced today, will reinforce the Aukus partnership with the US and the UK because the new body will “boost Australia’s involvement in technology sharing and research and development”.

A quick reminder that Aukus is about more than submarines: Australia, the US and the UK are also planning to deepen their work on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, additional undersea capabilities and hypersonic weapons.

Labor’s proposed new body – to be called the Advanced Strategic Research Agency (ASRA) – is expected to have $1.2bn in funding over 10 years and will be housed within the defence portfolio. Labor’s plan includes transitioning the existing Defence Innovation Hub into the independent agency over time, with a focus on Aukus priorities.

The agency would work closely with its counterparts, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the newly created UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

In a statement issued in advance of the announcement, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said the agency would be modelled on DARPA in the US and would become “a premier avenue for linking Australian industry (including SMEs) and universities with our Aukus partners”.

Albanese said in a joint statement with the shadow defence minister, Brendan O’Connor, and the shadow defence industry minister, Matt Keogh:

After almost a decade of neglect under the current Liberal government, there has been a lack of strategic defence and national security-focused sovereign research, funding and projects. This is leaving Australia vulnerable to strategic technological surprises.

Here is the fine print about what it would actually do:

ASRA would ensure cutting-edge research from public sources, such as universities and industry, and classified research from industry and other government agencies (such as CSIRO), are supported and co-ordinated.

ASRA will also aim to leverage private investment into its research priorities. It will ensure the development of sovereign research capabilities for Australia, especially in getting prototypes to delivered technology.

The Labor statement points to previous achievements of DARPA in the US:

DARPA’s recent work includes unmanned anti-submarine vessels, sixth generation jet fighter technologies, atmospheric water extraction, reusable robotic spacecraft, hypersonics and media forensics (identifying deepfakes). Famous commercialised projects from DARPA include the internet, the computer mouse, GPS, and Siri.