2024-08-13
The new AUKUS agreement concerning the acquisition of nuclear submarines is a complete capitulation by the Albanese Labor Government to the interests of the US.
From the US dictating the price of material it is selling to Australia to the ability of the US to scrap the deal whenever it wants, this agreement should have never been signed.
The Agreement has multiple exit clauses to allow the US and UK to withdraw from the deal with menial notice and no compensation to Australia. This is deeply concerning as Australia has already begun paying the US and UK nearly $10 billion in public funds. If the US and UK withdraw they have the right to take back and or destroy all material and information provided. The UK and US only need to provide one year's notice.
The Agreement also puts Australia on the hook to indemnify the US and UK for any “liability, loss, costs, damage, or injury” associated with the use of nuclear submarines. This means that if something goes wrong with one of the US’s second-hand nuclear submarines it is Australia that is liable.
The Agreement gives significant power to the UK and US in other areas too. It allows the US and UK to determine the price of highly enriched uranium it is selling to Australia. It also allows the US and UK to intervene in Australia’s relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Greens spokesperson for Defence, David Shoebridge, said: “I have never seen such an irresponsible one-sided international agreement signed by an Australian Government. Every aspect of this agreement is a blow to Australian sovereignty.”
“There are multiple get-out-of-jail-free cards for the US under this agreement. If at any point the US thinks that providing nuclear submarines to Australia would not be in their interests they can just pack up their bags and leave, taking all their tech and all our money with them.
“Even though the Australian public has no recourse to get the money back if the US walks away, the Albanese Government has put us on the hook to indemnify the US and UK Governments if something goes wrong with their technology.
“If that is not bad enough we are in the shocking situation where the US and UK will set the price for enriched uranium, they are going to sell to us. We sent Marles to Washington with a bucket and he came back with a sieve.
“Australia gets a guarantee of nothing, we have no recourse if the US walks away, we don't get independent consultation with the IAEA, we don't get fair prices for the fuel, we don’t even get a guarantee of nuclear submarines. But if the whole thing blows up in our face and something goes wrong, then we are financially responsible to the US and UK.
“This is the deal of the century for the US and UK who must be chuckling all the way to the bank having found the Albanese Government and their billions in public dollars.”