Liberal leader Peter Dutton claims Labor is 'preparing the ground' to exit AUKUS and dump nuclear submarine program
Peter Dutton has accused the Labor government of attempting to “crab-walk” out of the AUKUS agreement which he said would be a “travesty” to Australia’s security future.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has lashed out at Richard Marles and said the acting Prime Minister was “preparing the ground” to dump Australia’s future nuclear submarine program.
Australia is set to acquire a fleet of either US or UK nuclear-powered submarines after the former government dumped its $90 billion contract for diesel boats with French manufacturer Naval Group.
Mr Marles said the Coalition’s decision to scrap the French deal and sign the AUKUS agreement with the UK and the US had left Australia with the “potential of a very significant capability gap” with the boats expected to arrive sometime after 2038.
But Mr Dutton – who was defence minister at the time AUKUS was signed – said the procurement of nuclear submarines was the “security underpinning” for Australia for the next half century.
The recently elected Liberal leader said any attempt to scrap the deal and opt for a more immediate successor to the existing Collins-class submarine would be a “travesty”.
“If Labor is preparing to walk away from that, which I suspect Richard Marles at least in part is planning on doing, then I think he would be doing a great disservice to our country as Defence Minister,” Mr Dutton said in Adelaide on Tuesday.
“And I think he’s preparing the ground to walk away from the nuclear submarine program which I think would be a travesty.”
The AUKUS arrangement will allow Australia to gain access to British and American nuclear technology which has not been shared since the 1950s.
Mr Dutton said as a result of the landmark agreement, Australia was in a “unique opportunity” and warned Labor against walking away from the deal.
“If Labor is crab walking away from the AUKUS deal, I don’t think – given the situation in the Indo-Pacific atm – that that is in our country’s best interest, and they should reconsider it,” he said.
The Opposition Leader justified his remarks and said Labor’s “constant talk” of a capability gap and the length of time before the boats arrive in Australia was setting the ground for action on the issue.
“They’ll be looking at the figures where there’s a considerable expense … and they will be saying ‘oh we can’t afford to do that and how do we get out of it’,” he said.
“That is not a choice that the Labor Party should be contemplating because you need that capability.
Catching up with @trussliz on the sidelines of #CHOGM2022.
— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) June 24, 2022
A warm and friendly discussion, looking forward to new areas of cooperation in our long-standing partnership with the UK, including under the AUKUS pillars and working together to tackle climate change. pic.twitter.com/cb9J0m4ive
“And to defend our country particularly in uncertain times you need to invest in the Australian defence force.”
The Defence Minister has previously indicated that the nuclear submarines would not arrive by the previous government’s deadline of 2038.
Mr Marles told the Nine newspapers earlier this month that the recent projections for delivery was “more likely to be in the mid-2040s”.
On Tuesday, he did not rule out an early procurement of nuclear boats or securing a newer version of the Collins-class and said the government had an “open and creative mind” as to how to fill the capability gap.