There’s more AUKUS stupidity to talk about, with now a secret political deal with the US and UK to be factored in. It is so secret that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese doesn’t seem to have any idea what it’s about. There’s speculation that it could compel Australia to go to war with China over Taiwan – but that issue is more nuanced than most people understand. Or could it be about the storage in Australia of high level nuclear waste from other countries – which seems irrelevant since we will be storing many hundreds of tonnes of high level waste from our own decommissioned submarines. Why is the media incapable of asking obvious follow up questions? The only way left to reform the system is to start a new political party called Transparent Government and start taking seats off Labor, preferably including Corio, currently held by Richard Marles. Finally some wise words from David Sanger, one of the best and most knowledgeable national security journalists in the US.
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The Australian has covered more details of the AUKUS agreement. Which has revealed quite a few eye openers beyond what you have covered here.
Notably that there is a discontinuation clause allowing a Government to pull out of the agreement for a number of reasons with 12 months written notice. Secondly that there is an indemnity clause, meaning Australia is to indemnify the USA and UK “against liability, loss, costs, damage, or injury” caused by the deal.
It’s just getting worse and worse, and as you have pointed out they keep the cash we have already given them. Quite the nice little earner as some would say.
So they get the bases and we get to pay them for subs that may or may not ever get here for the low low price of 9 Billion and counting with no assurances or guarantees.
Only in politics would this make any sense at all.
A party of true Government transparency, sign me up.
Thanks as always
I’m stunned by the number of loopholes in all of this. Who in their right mind agreed to these cash transfers to the US and UK with NO REFUND CLAUSE? It’s just such basic commercial practice – and common sense. This is what happens when Ministers don’t do their jobs and let national security experts with zero commercial experience run amok.
You and the Transparency Warrior Rex Patrick? That would give them something to worry about!
Can anyone think of a more inept collection of bureaucrats than the mob we currently have running the DoD ?. They slash and burn the NH90 Fleet leaving a gaping hole in the ADF’s Rotary lift Capability. They slash the number of new IFV to less than half of the numbers of the M113s that they are slated to replace. They retire the entire Abrams M1 Fleet at least a year before their replacements are due. Spend more money extending the service of Submarines when it is cheaper to replace them with new ones. Order an OPV with multiple capabilities then degrade it to be useless. Put out a tender for a new warship that will be less capable than what its replacing.Agree to GIVE Billions to an Industry with no actual guarantee that it will be used for what they want it used for then renegotiate the agreement to pay that industry compensation if it all gets to hard and it’s cancelled. And ( excuse the grammar) that’s only what we know about. A new Government of Transparency ? Where do I sign …….
It’s a long list but unfortunately it will continue to grow until there are major reforms to the system.