The Australian Greens have pledged to push for sweeping changes to the Australian Defence Force if they hold the balance of power at the next election, including cuts to defence spending and cancellation of the AUKUS alliance. However, such a pledge would come amid ongoing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, including Beijing’s militarisation in the South China Sea. Western Australian Greens Senator Jordan Steele-John said the party would push for the defence budget to be cut by one percent of GDP by 2026 to ensure Australia had a light and “highly mobile force” commensurate to the size of the country. Further, the left-leaning party would close all foreign military bases in Australia and renegotiate the ANZUS alliance with New Zealand and the United States, while prioritising “peaceful efforts” in the region to tackle climate change. “The Greens are committed to reducing defence spending; this will make $312 billion available over …