Peter Garrett Launches Inquiry Into A$368 Billion Aukus Deal, Challenging 2027 Submarine Basing Plan
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 2
Peter Garrett Launches Inquiry Into A$368 Billion Aukus Deal, Challenging 2027 Submarine Basing Plan
6 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 2
A five-month, crowd-funded review of Australia’s A$368 billion Aukus submarine program will hold public hearings and deliver a report in October under former minister Peter Garrett and four other commissioners.
The inquiry says the deal lacked proper parliamentary and public scrutiny and will test whether the nuclear-powered submarines improve security, can actually be delivered, and where nuclear waste would be stored.
Independent MPs David Pocock and Andrew Wilkie back the review, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government said it welcomes appropriate oversight and transparency.
The challenge comes days after Canberra revised the pact to buy three second-hand US submarines instead of receiving at least one new vessel, with US and UK nuclear submarines also set to rotate through Perth from 2027.
Aukus, announced in 2021 and widely seen as aimed at countering China in the Indo-Pacific, has drawn criticism over sovereignty, regional stability and Australia’s ties with its largest trading partner.
How does AUKUS affect Australia's balance between its US alliance and its trade with China?
Is AUKUS a vital security upgrade or a risky bet on an overstretched US industrial base?
With costs soaring for used submarines, where is the plan for managing their permanent nuclear waste?
Independent Inquiry into AUKUS: Peter Garrett Leads Scrutiny of Australia’s $368 Billion Nuclear Submarine Deal
Overview
A new independent inquiry, led by Peter Garrett, was launched to scrutinize Australia’s decision to acquire three second-hand Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States. This shift in strategy was influenced by a Pentagon review and supported by senior Labor figures, reflecting concerns about production delays and impacts on Australia’s sovereignty and industry. The first submarine is expected in 2032, with more arriving every four years, ahead of the future Australian-built SSN AUKUS model. The inquiry aims to address these strategic, economic, and sovereignty issues, responding to growing public demand for transparency around the AUKUS deal.