Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has described the AUKUS partnership as a “terrible deal” for Australia.
The ex-Liberal PM ripped into the trilateral defence pact with the US to deliver nuclear submarines and warned Australia could end up empty-handed.
“AUKUS is a terrible deal. It is so unfair to Australia,” Turnbull said during a doorstep interview in Canberra’s Parliament House.
“The most likely outcome of the AUKUS pillar one is that we will end up with no submarines of our own.”
He added: “We will have lost both sovereignty and security, and a lot of money as well.
“That’s why I say it is a really bad deal.”
When questioned over reports US President Donald Trump supports the AUKUS deal, Turnbull said “of course” he would like it.
He said the Trump administration would be pleased with the $3 billion dollar deal and claimed there was “no guarantee” Australia would ever be handed the promised US nuclear-powered submarines.
“Of course he’d like it, it’s such a bad deal for us,” Turnbull added of the security agreement with Australia, the United Kingdom and US for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“He will be thinking who are these dumb guys who agreed to this deal?”
Earlier today, Turnbull similarly savaged Australia’s role in the AUKUS deal on ABC Radio Sydney and said it was a “fiasco”.
“The fundamental problem is that we are very, very likely, I would say, almost certain, never to get any Virginia class submarines,” he said.
The Albanese government made a $US500 million ($798 million) payment to Washington as part of the AUKUS deal ahead of the meeting between Marles and Hegseth.
The plan would provide Australia with three Virginia-class submarines from the US, which is supposed to boost America’s lagging rate of submarine production.
“The president is very aware, supportive of AUKUS and … the investment Australia is willing to make,” Hegseth said.
He also said the Trump Administration “sure hopes” to have them delivered on time, with the first one due by the early 2030s.
