Former Labor MP Michael Danby has criticised the government’s decision to reject a request from the United States to send a warship to the Red Sea.

“How can we ask the Americans to shave off three of their Virginia-class nuclear submarines from a program that they don’t have enough of their own and at the same time not send them one rotten ship,” he told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus.

“To sit on the flank of some operation to keep peace for 15 per cent of international trade.

“I mean all of the major German and Dutch shipping companies have now cancelled trade through the Red Sea.

“That affects Australia – petrol prices – I mean it’s very nice to say we have a South Pacific concentration but doesn’t the economy count?

“It’s terrible Australia hasn’t stepped up and stood by the yanks.”