David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency: That the Albanese government must not continue to spend upwards of $360 billion in public funds on the increasingly unlikely chance we might get AUKUS nuclear submarines, while abandoning our sovereignty and destabilising the region.

AUKUS is sinking, and, if the ALP and the coalition continue down their war party path, we are all going to sink with it. A year ago this week, Prime Minister Albanese was over in San Diego coming up with his so-called optimal pathway for AUKUS after agreeing to the Morrison government's election stunt with a no-doc briefing—a two-hour no-doc briefing, courtesy of the former Morrison government. Who would sign Australia up to a $360 billion disaster zone with a no-doc briefing from former prime minister Scott Morrison? Who would do that? It turns out that the then opposition leader, now Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, took Morrison at his word. You can't make this stuff up.

But we are now looking at the first anniversary of this optimal pathway of the AUKUS deal, and on any rational view it should be the last, because, despite the coalition and the ALP's blanket denial, the US will only provide Australia with any of their Virginia class nuclear submarines if they have got enough for themselves. If you want to know the first rule of dealing with United States, assume that they are always going to put their self-interest ahead of ours or any other part of the planet. That's a good starting point.

The fact is that the Albanese government think that they are going to get three to five Virginia class nuclear submarines from the United States in the early 2030s when, at the exact same time, because of decisions that were made by the US in the 1990s, the US are going to have the lowest number of Attack class nuclear subs—significantly less than they need, they say, for their own purposes. In order to deal with that value of production, the US need to be knocking out of the US shipyards 2.3 of these Virginia class submarines a year to have enough submarines by the 2030s to supply the US Navy's needs and have a few left over to supply Australia with these multibillion dollar nuclear submarines.

But what is actually happening? The US Navy, in their most recent budget, have budgeted not for 2.3 or even for two Virginia class submarines. The US Navy have acknowledged reality. They've budgeted for the production of only one Virginia class nuclear submarine in the coming 12 months—just one. They've done that because they know that there isn't the capacity in US dockyards and shipyards to produce more than one. To make enough nuclear submarines for Australia, they need to be knocking out 2.3; they're knocking out one. That's some awkward AUKUS maths there, isn't it. In the early 2030s, the US is going to be asked by Australia, 'Please, sir, can we have some nuclear submarines?' What's the US President going to say? They'll say: 'We haven't got enough for our own purposes. There's no way we're going to be giving them to Australia.'

Hidden in plain sight in the legislation that's been approved for AUKUS in the US Congress is a kill switch that says, if there aren't enough for the US, there's no way in hell they'll give any to Australia. That is despite the Albanese government giving $4.7 billion of Australian public money to the US for US jobs and investment in US shipbuilding. This will include, by the way, investment for the US to build their next intercontinental ballistic class of nuclear submarine, the Columbia class.

The question is: how many billions more will Australia sink into the disaster zone that is the AUKUS submarine deal, pillar I? How many years will be wasted before we finally jump on an off-ramp? The overwhelming majority of Australians don't want us tied unquestionably to the US alliance. They don't want us to spend billions of dollars chasing unicorns. Let's end the deal now, while we can. Let's save some dignity and save some sovereignty.