Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defends his decision to skip NATO summit

And Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on defence over his decision not to attend the 2024 NATO summit. Nine federal politics reporter Claudia Podoljak is live in Parliament House with this story for us. Claudia, good morning. Despite the PM not going, Australia will still be represented. Yeah, that's right. Sarah, good morning to you. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be absent, Deputy PM and Defence Minister Richard Miles is heading to Washington next week for what is a crucial meeting, especially when it comes to defense and security. The main agenda this year will be to address those global challenges in what NATO labels the most dangerous security environment since the Cold War. And while the Opposition has called the PM out for not attending this year's summit, Mr. Albanese stands by his decision. You changed your mind, Why have you changed your mind? No, I haven't changed my mind. Did you never say you were going to go? No, we never accepted the the invitation. Other countries are sending their leaders for manufacturing. They are. We aren't members of NATO. Just to be clear, when did you make the decision not to go? My decision a while ago. Australia is not a member of NATO. But we are observers. And in sending Mr. Miles to represent our nation, the Federal Government says it's committed to pushing our region's strategic priorities and shares a commitment to peace and security. Sarah, Claudia, thank you.