Caroline Kennedy praises Australia’s bipartisan foreign policy despite PM’s claims on Labor and China

Caroline Kennedy appeared before the Senate foreign relations committee before a vote on her confirmation as ambassador to Australia. Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/REX/Shutterstock

Caroline Kennedy, the nominee for US ambassador to Australia, has said the Aukus security deal will provide “a lot of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific even before the nuclear-powered submarines are ready.

With Australia set to enter a federal election campaign within days, Kennedy praised the country for standing firm with “a bipartisan foreign policy” in the face of “Chinese economic coercion”.