The Albanese government was told only a month after it came to power that the door was open to reviving the partnership for France to build Attack-class submarines, including nuclear-powered ones if Australia so wanted.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian Financial Review, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has revealed that at his own initiative in the early months of 2022, he had confidential discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and senior French foreign affairs officials to ensure that Canberra and Paris could turn the page on tensions and get their submarine deal back on track.