Australia should persist with Aukus despite risk of US relationship 'becoming unstuck', former defence department secretary says

The US is a "less reliable and a more demanding ally" under Donald Trump's second administration, but Australia should persist with the Aukus submarine deal, despite its risks and growing political and military concerns, former ambassador Dennis Richardson has argued. "The worst possible thing we could do at this point would be to change course," he told the Security and Sovereignty conference organised in Canberra by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Monday. Richardson - former secretary of both the defence and foreign affairs departments, a former Asio chief and a former ambassador to the US - has been tasked…