UK Defence Secretary John Healey’s abrupt resignation will have “no effect” on the trilateral AUKUS defence pact, a senior Albanese government minister says.Mr Healey’s resignation came hours before he was due to appear alongside his Australian counterpart Richard Marles to spruik the $368bn AUKUS deal at the Portsmouth naval base south of London. Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are in the UK to take part in this year’s AUKMIN talks, a foreign policy and defence dialogue between Australian and British ministerial officials. But Innovation Minister Tim Ayres downplayed the impact of Mr Healey’s exit from Keir Starmer’s Labour government, pointing out the deal would endure as an intergenerational partnership. “It will have no effect on the AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States,” Mr Ayres told ABC Radio National on Friday. “This is a partnership that has deep support across all three countries’ political systems, within the public service and the defence agencies in all three countries, and indeed with the defence industry, because it’s in the interests of all three countries.“Over the 30-year life of the agreement to provide nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines, there will be many ministers for defence for all three countries, many secretaries for war in the United States case, who are there charged with delivering this program.”Mr Healey announced his resignation on social media and said he had “no other option” but to quit. He attributed this decision to the UK government’s proposed defence spending falling “well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time”.About five hours after the British official’s announcement, Mr Marles released a statement saying he valued his collaborative relationship with Mr Healey and described him as a “good friend”. “I have deeply valued the close and collaborative working relationship with my good friend John Healey as Secretary of Defence, as I have with his predecessors on the Australia-UK defence relationship,” Mr Marles said. “I have worked closely with all of them particularly in respect of AUKUS.“Our defence relationship is enduring, with deep connections, values and shared interests.“Acknowledging that ultimately this has been a decision for John, I wish him all the best for the future.”Mr Healey’s announcement came less than a day after he declared the AUKUS plan to deliver Australia nuclear-powered submarines was a “personal priority” during a press conference with Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.