Submission to AUKUS Public Inquiry – Cancel Aukus- John Richards

137, John Richards.

Electing to desert the French submarine option and pursue AUKUS is possibly one
of the most ill-considered public policy decisions ever made. It makes absolutely
no sense on any level. It should be cancelled on the following grounds:

There was no public debate about an expenditure of 1/3 of a trillion dollars, and
the Labor party was wedged by PM Morrison with 24 hours notice.
The suitability of the AUKUS submarines is highly questionable even if delivered
today. They are only useful as an extension of the US Pacific fleet.
Australia lacks the capability to service nuclear-powered submarines, we lack
the personnel to run them, and they add nothing to our defensive capability.
The contractual terms are absolutely ridiculous, including billions of dollars in
payments for US / UK infrastructure, no guarantee of delivery (now being reduced
to old hardware) and no clawback if the promised delivery never takes place.
It is demonstrably true that the US lacks the industrial capacity to deliver to
their own requirements of 66 subs (now 24 in service) much less our requirements.
Last but far from least is the implicit decision to tie our future security and our
sovereignty to a nation which is in turmoil, and has demonstrated their lack of
reliability and capricious decision making on numerous occasions. They are indeed
Dangerous Allies.
CANCEL AUKUS. INVEST IN DOMESTIC INFRASTRUCTURE. STOP VILIFFYING CHINA…