Dissenting Report - Australian Greens

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Report 228: AUKUS UK Collaboration; UK and Indonesia Defence Treaties

This Joint Standing Committee on Treaties report contains the Committee’s review and recommendations relating to two major treaty actions linked to the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal - a deal that the Australian Greens have vocally opposed since it was first announced.

It has been made abundantly clear across the committee’s work to review the two treaty actions concerned, namely the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Defence and Security Cooperation, that these treaty actions cannot hide the core failings of AUKUS, nor the cost to Australia’s independence. The two treaty actions the committee has confirmed agreement to is a step back into the 20th century and further distances us from our neighbours.

The Australian Greens do not support binding treaty action being taken related to the two treaties named above. This committee inquiry and report makes clear the need for a proper parliamentary interrogation into the AUKUS deal in its totality.

Despite recent comments made by the US President during his meeting with Prime Minister Albanese in Washington D.C. AUKUS is still failing, with an ongoing US review, lagging production rates and billions of public funds already spent.

The detail in these treaties makes clear that Australia is at the bottom rung of AUKUS, with the UK making all critical decisions on the design of the yet-to-be-built AUKUS nuclear submarines, and Australia once again funnelling money and little more.

This 50-year deal has little new detail and is largely a virtue signal to the US seeking the Trump administration’s support for the failing AUKUS deal.

The fact that the UK defence budget and industry are in disarray is ignored in this agreement, but was repeatedly raised during the inquiry. Since 1972, the UK has made it clear it does not have a meaningful role in defence matters “East of Suez” and the decades since its economic and military reach has only diminished.

Rear Admiral Peter Briggs raised it in his submission that the SSN-AUKUS is at best a third-order priority for the fledgling nuclear submarine program. This raises further issues as this treaty makes clear that the UK will have the lead role in design and development.

This issue was also raised by the Medical Association for the Prevention of War, which said in its submission:

“Both the current UK SSN delivery and sustainment programmes have major problems. There are currently five Astute-class SSNs in commission, with two still to be delivered. Britain’s submarine support establishment is having difficulties in getting SSNs to sea. Of the five SSNs, on a good day 2 are deployed. Currently none are deployed, due to maintenance issues. Indeed, there have been a number of periods in recent years when the RN was unable to deploy a single SSN.”

This deal also makes clear that Australia will be responsible for high, low and intermediate nuclear waste from UK submarines in Australia, with the limited exception of spent nuclear fuel from foreign vessels. The deal will also see Australia “waive all claims for liability” on the transfer of AUKUS nuclear submarines.

As the Australian Conservation Foundation wrote in its submission, this is both deeply irresponsible and will harm future generations. ACF makes clear that the Government should make clear that Australia would not take any foreign nuclear waste, something this treaty does not do.

The two issues of the failing UK nuclear submarine industry and the handing over of power for the UK to lead SSN-AUKUS is a recipe for disaster. As Friends of the Earth highlighted in its submission, the number of instances where “actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment” has been on the increase in the UK.

Meanwhile, the UK has no plan to dispose of the nuclear submarines and their tons of nuclear waste it is currently in the process of decommissioning.

The Albanese Government has already committed to giving the UK a $5 billion down payment on AUKUS. Of course, the UK is committed to AUKUS; they have found a cashed-up sucker in Australia.

With this latest round of AUKUS agreements, the Albanese Government is making it clear they would rather handcuff Australia to an erratic bully in the US and a dying empire in the UK than work with our neighbours to have a peaceful and stable region.

Signing Australia up to a 50-year agreement with the UK like this is an expensive distraction for Australia’s defence and security planners. Think of the message being sent to our region as we invite the UK back, half a century after our neighbours finally saw their colonisers sail away.

These decisions are seemingly being made on the fly and serve to reinforce the urgent need for an inquiry into the AUKUS deal to pull Australia back from this reckless and expensive nuclear folly.

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson

Member - Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania