Labor leaders want Australia to reassess its approach to foreign policy under the alliance with the United States after the uncertainty created by Donald Trump's election as president.
Opposition foreign-policy spokeswoman Penny Wong says the alliance has bipartisan support but Australia must be prepared to make clear any difference it has with the United States.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Senator Wong is speaking on behalf of Labor's left faction, which he says is divided on the US alliance.
Opposition foreign-policy spokeswoman Penny Wong says Australia must be prepared to articulate its differences with the United States when necessary.
Her remarks come after a leading candidate to be the next US secretary of state, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke of building a "gigantic" US military force.
He say the military expansion would be aimed at letting the United States fight a "two-ocean war" and referred specifically to China's aims in the Pacific.
Ms Wong is urging caution.
"Australians do want to understand, you know, how we continue to project our values, and I don't think reflexive agreement with any administration should be the Australian way."
That argument has been made many times before by a diverse range of voices.
They include the late Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser, as well as former Labor prime minister Paul Keating.
Last week, Mr Keating told the ABC it was time to, as he termed it, "cut the tag" with the United States.
"The foreign policy of Australia is, basically, we have tag-along rights to the US, and we conduct our foreign policy -- certainly since I left public office, in the Howard years with Iraq, you know, and in the years since -- more or less a tag-along foreign policy, tag along the United States. It's time to cut the tag. It's time to get out of it."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull points to Penny Wong's comments, saying they show a division in the Labor Party on foreign policy.
"You have Penny Wong going in one direction -- wanting to move away from our strongest, most important, most trusted, most enduring ally, wanting to move away, put our nation's security at risk. And then on the other hand, you have the right of the party trying to crab-walk back from where she's gone."
But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the alliance does not preclude Australia engaging with Asia, something both Penny Wong and Paul Keating say is the right approach.
Ms Wong has also written an opinion piece on the matter in Fairfax newspapers, and Labor's Richard Marles has told Sky News there is nothing controversial about her comments.
"She has made it very clear that the alliance is bigger than any one individual. That is absolutely right. There's nothing in Penny's article which is suggesting anything other than that we should be pursuing the alliance and making sure that we're advocating for Australia's interests within the context of that."
Acting US ambassador to Australia James Caruso says there will be no major changes to the US-Australian relationship under Donald Trump.
He has told the ABC it appears Mr Trump's focus will be making sure US allies do their own part.
"If you want to look at the model of what he seems to have in mind, it's Australia. Australia's an ally that's been with us every step of the way, always pulls its weight, it's investing in its own defence big-time with subs and the F-35 program and the frigates. I can't speak for the President-Elect, but it sure looks like what Donald Trump wants is the alliance we have with Australia."
During the election campaign, Mr Trump had said the United States' NATO allies and Japan were not doing their part.
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