Senator Rex Patrick calls for Inquiry before Australia moves to buy USA nuclear submarines
Senator calls for inquiry before move to nuclear sub fleet https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-news-live-australia-us-and-uk-to-unveil-new-defence-pact-nsw-health-staff-yet-to-get-covid-vaccines-victorian-lockdown-could-ease-20210915-p58rw3.html By Daniella White
Senator Rex Patrick, a former navy submariner, has called for a senate inquiry before Australia moves to a nuclear fleet of submarines.
His comments come as Australia, the US and Britain prepare to unveil a landmark new security pact which may include sharing nuclear submarine technology.
Senator Patrick said it could be difficult to support nuclear-powered submarines in a country like Australia that does not have an established nuclear industry.
“But there’s no question that before this decision can be taken we need to have a Senate inquiry, there’s so many sort of complex issues,” he said on ABC Radio.
“If it’s a US submarine, they have highly enriched uranium in their reactors and that creates a proliferation issue in terms of Australia standing up saying, no one should have this sort of fuel available to them.
“Yet we might end up having to have that on our submarines.”
Senator Patrick said Australia would save far more money by walking away from its troubled $90 billion deal with France to build submarines, than if it proceeded with it.
“It’s almost unbelievably costly in the context of what other countries pay for submarines,” he said.
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