The federal government has formally declined a request from the United States to increase Australia's military commitment in the Middle East.
Instead, the government says, Australia will continue with an existing agreement, which includes defence personnel training Iraqi security forces and conducting air-strikes against the so-called Islamic State in the region.
As David Sharaz reports, the opposition says it wants to know why.
For years Australia has been among the top countries contributing to United States-led military campaigns in the Middle East.
As part of a mission to target the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Australia has deployed close to 800 personnel to conduct airstrikes and train local forces.
Peter Jennings is from the government-funded Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Mr Jennings says the former Prime Minister Tony Abbott was prepared to consider increasing Australia's military involvement in the region.
"The Abbott government was looking to do more. They extended airstrikes over into Syria just weeks before Abbott finally lost the prime ministership. So, that did reflect a particular view about how the war needed to be fought."
In December last year the US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter asked all countries involved in the military coalition against IS to deploy more assets to the Middle East.
At the time Defence Minister Marise Payne indicated Australia would be declining the request, but wouldn't confirm either way.
"If you bear in mind what we're already doing in our air operations and our building partner capacity work particularly in Taji with New Zealand these are significant undertakings and Australia is already making an already significant commitment."
Peter Jennings says this isn't the first time Australia has refused a US request for military or other assistance.
"Actually we've done it quite a lot. We've declined to be involved in the bombing campaigns against Libya in 2011. We've refused to take part in a number of peace keeping missions that the Americans would have liked us to have taken part in. So it's a bit of a myth to say that Australia never says no."
The former Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has told the ABC he disagrees with the policy decision.
"My general in principle view is that if the Americans have made a reasonable request of us, then we should be giving it the most favourable consideration."
Mr Andrews believes it could harm Australia's relationship with the US.
"We are a long term, decades-long alliance partner with the US and we should therefore be starting with a favourable consideration of what the US request of us. Because at the end of the day, the US have come to our aid on occasions when we've needed them."
The federal opposition leader Bill Shorten says Labor will be seeking a briefing on the details of the US request and why it was declined.
"It is very important that our troops and defence are not used as some internal battle within the Liberal Party. That this doesn't become a political matter it should be above politics."
Peter Jennings from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the refusal could generate greater interest in the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's upcoming visit to the White House.
"So I think Washington will be looking at Canberra with a certain amount of curiosity about what's going on here, does this reflect a really big change in Australian policy thinking?"
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