Veteran Labor senator demands Senate inquiry into AUKUS submarines pact

Veteran Labor senator Kim Carr says the federal government’s new nuclear submarine pact with the United States and Britain must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny to ensure Australia retains sovereign capability in its naval shipbuilding plan.

Senator Carr was among a group of Labor MPs who urged caution during a caucus briefing on Friday against instantly backing the government’s AUKUS pact, which abruptly terminated a $90 billion deal with France and caused a major diplomatic dispute.

An artist’s impression of the Royal Australian Navy’s future submarines under the now-defunct French deal with Naval Group. Credit:

He believes a Senate Select Committee should now be established to probe the potential impact of the deal on Australia’s abilities to build and maintain the fleet as well as seek assurances the nation will not be breaking its nuclear non-proliferation treaty obligations.

A cabinet minister in the Rudd and Gillard government, Senator Carr said it was wrong for the government to expect instant bipartisan support after Labor’s leadership received only a “sketchy, two-hour briefing without documents”.

“There are important questions we need to ask here, not just on behalf of our current citizens but for our grandchildren,” Senator Carr said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will arrive in New York on Tuesday morning Australian time for meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, including a bilateral with US.

Amid French fury over the deal, Mr Morrison will also have a working dinner with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson before the first in-person meeting of the Quad leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has supported the government’s new deal but has criticised its mishandling of the French contract, including the blow-out in timeline and potential costs in tearing up the contact.

But Senator Carr said blank cheques should “never be accepted” and that many questions remained unanswered about the deal.

“What will the local content be for the new subs, given that in the US this is contracted to a single company?” he said. “There are also questions about preserving Australian sovereignty itself because for many decades ahead AUKUS will lock Australia rigidly into the global strategic priorities of the US. It will do so regardless of who occupies the White House, or our own national interest.”

Senator Kim Carr wants more scrutiny on Australia’s submarine deals.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Senator Carr said if the goal of attaining sovereign capability in naval shipbuilding had been quietly set aside, it meant the government had abandoned supposedly solid commitments to workers in Adelaide and their unions about creating jobs and expanding Australia’s skills base.

“The government has not explained what type of nuclear boats will be built, nor how much they will cost, nor its reason for abandoning the Naval Group contracts,” he said.

“These are all questions the government must answer, not fob off in its usual style. The Senate estimates and other committees will be busy seeking answers. And a select committee inquiry could well be warranted, given the gravity of these concerns.”

The diplomatic fallout grew deeper on Monday as France cancelled a meeting between Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart. Reuters reported that Ms Parly personally took the decision to drop the bilateral meeting with British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

The French Defence Ministry could not be immediately reached. The British Defence Ministry declined comment. The sources confirmed an earlier report in the Guardian that the meeting had been cancelled.

Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney prior to his departure on Monday that his trip was about keeping Australia safe in an “increasingly uncertain world”.

“This is all about, always about ensuring that Australia’s sovereign interests will be put first to ensure that Australians here can live peacefully with the many others in our region, because that’s what we desire as a peaceful and free nation,” he said.