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Politics live: Australia always preferred secondhand Aukus submarines, defence secretary says
TL;DR
Australia has always preferred secondhand nuclear submarines under the Aukus deal, according to defense officials. This revelation has led to questions about whether the original arrangement was imposed on the Albanese government.
Key points
- Australia prefers secondhand nuclear submarines under Aukus deal
- Defense officials revealed this preference during Senate estimates
- Coalition questions if the deal was imposed on the Albanese government
Mentioned in this story
Meghan QuinnJames Paterson
Aukus dealVirginia-class submarines
From
Australia’s preference was always to receive secondhand nuclear powered submarines under the Aukus deal, defence officials have revealed, prompting the Coalition to question if the original arrangement was “imposed” on the Albanese government.
The defence secretary, Meghan Quinn, was grilled at Senate estimates on Tuesday night about the announcement that Australia would buy three used Virginia-class submarines from the US rather than a combination of new and old vessels.
Under questioning from the shadow defence minister, James Paterson, Quinn said it was a “joint idea” from Australia and the US to rework the deal.
Pressed on which country proposed the alternative plan first, Quinn said:
double quotation markAustralia’s position is that we would have always … had a preference for three in-service (submarines).
A surprised Paterson asked why the Albanese government accepted the original deal if that wasn’t its preference.
double quotation markThey imposed a new submarine on us and said you must take a new submarine even if you want three in-service?
Quinn replied:
double quotation markThis is a joint exercise over many decades, working collaboratively with an alliance partner to deliver a capability which is significant and is very important for Australia’s national defence. So there are many reasons why three in-service (submarines) would be simpler, lower-cost through the training of staff, the sustainment arrangements, the maintenance requirements, and all of those considerations.
Good morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Krishani Dhanji will be your guide.
Australia’s preference was always to receive secondhand nuclear powered submarines under the Aukus deal, the defence secretary told Senate estimates last night. More coming up.
And Australia is going to send ADF troops to Poland to help train Ukrainian fighters. More on that, too, soon.
Explore more on these topics
Q&A
Why did Australia choose secondhand submarines under the Aukus deal?
Australia preferred secondhand nuclear-powered submarines to save costs, as revealed by defense officials.
What was the reaction of the Coalition to the Aukus submarine deal?
The Coalition questioned if the original arrangement for submarines was imposed on the Albanese government.
Who is Meghan Quinn and what role did she play in the Aukus submarine discussion?
Meghan Quinn is the defense secretary who confirmed Australia's preference for secondhand submarines during Senate estimates.
