According to Australian media reports dated August 10, including the Australian Man and The Sydney Herald, former Australian Prime Minister Turnbull once again criticized the US-Australia-AUKUS security partnership. He stated that Australia is likely to never even receive a U.S. nuclear submarine, and condemned this agreement as a 'mistake made by both political parties in Australia'.
According to reports, Turnbull attended a public inquiry hearing regarding AUKUS in Sydney on the 10th. In an opinion paper he submitted, Turnbull stated that AUKUS means “Australia is giving up its sovereignty in defense matters.”
"We have, in actuality, handed over control of one of the Western Australia naval bases to the US Navy. Whether or not we will be able to acquire nuclear submarines will depend on Washington's political decision-making and the industrial development of the United Kingdom and the United States." Trubell wrote in his opinion paper.
"If we were to acquire these submarines, we could bypass US wishes for their use, which is unrealistic. Will AUKUS actually enhance our security? Or will it drag Australia into conflict with China regardless of our desire?" Ternbul asked.
He also mentioned in his letter that the United States must build more than two nuclear submarines each year until 2029 to meet the needs of its own navy and Australia. However, “the prospect of the United States doubling the production of Virginia-class submarines within the next six years is highly unlikely. Therefore, it is entirely possible that Australia will not even get a single Virginia-class submarine.”
According to Xinhua News Agency, Turnbull criticized the AUKUS agreement for weakening Australia's strategic autonomy during a hearing on the 10th. He argued that in the context of declining U.S. reliability, Australia should maintain independent strategic judgment and operational capabilities, rather than further deepening its military dependence on the United States.
In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia established a trilateral security partnership and initiated cooperation on nuclear submarines. According to the plan, Australia intends to begin purchasing U.S. Virginia-class nuclear submarines starting in the early 2030s. Australia is a non-nuclear country, and the tri-national cooperation involving nuclear submarines, which carries a high risk of nuclear proliferation, has raised concerns and doubts among the international community regarding the deepening military alliance between the three countries and the potential disruption of regional security and stability. Turnbull has long criticized this cooperation.
This AUKUS public survey was initiated by former Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett in early June this year. The aim is to gather opinions from experts and the public, assess the impact of AUKUS on Australia’s security, sovereignty, economy, and society. An independent report is planned to be prepared by the end of October this year. Previously, related hearings have taken place in cities such as Melbourne and Adelaide, and over 500 written submissions have been received so far.
