I thought the ALP were socialists (equivalent to Canada's NDP)?
It is not quite so. In Australian politics the equivalents to Canada's NDP are the Democratic Party of Australia and the Green Party. Both of which are extremely leftist and violently anti-US (I mean rigourously, rather than to the point of organizing armed attacks). And Australians regard both parties as nutty left - both never mamaged to govern on their own (not even in states as leftist as Tasmania - they combined manage to get 4% federally, and 18% in Tasmania).
The ALP has two factions: the Left and Right. Since Gough Whitlam - described as Australia's Pierre Trudeau - was ousted in 1975 there had been two ALP Prime Ministers since. Both are from the Right and both (Bob Hawke and Paul Keating) had been very pro-US to the point that none of their politics would be tolerated in Canada's Liberal Party. Mark Latham is the most leftist ALP leader has had for a while (his own mentor was Gough Whitlam) and while he was very leftist by Australian standards his policies sound like Paul Martin (and is confirmed by an Australian friend).
Indeed the ALP as a whole is slightly to the right of the Canadian (federal) Liberals, even though the ALP is a member of Socialists International and the Canadian Liberals isn't. And the Coalition (Liberal Party of Australia and National Party of Australia) would be a whole degree to the right of the Canadian Conservative Party. This reflects the political realities of Australia - Queensland and Western Australia are on a whole a lot even more hardcore conservative than Alberta. No Quebec, Ontario-clone (Victoria) overshadowed by a moderate state, and leftist state also being the smallest one.