Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has publicly criticized the AUKUS agreement, calling it a "terrible deal" for Australia. Turnbull believes that this trilateral defense pact, aimed at providing Australia with nuclear submarines, may ultimately leave Australia with nothing to show for it.
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03-19, 2025During an interview at Parliament House in Canberra, Turnbull stated, "AUKUS is a terrible deal, a very unfair deal for Australia." He added, "The most likely outcome of Pillar One of AUKUS is that we end up with no submarines of our own."
Turnbull further pointed out that Australia could lose sovereignty and security as a result, while spending a significant amount of money. "That's why I say it's a very bad deal." When asked about reports that former US President Donald Trump supported the AUKUS agreement, Turnbull said that Trump "of course" would like the deal because the $3 billion deal is good for the US, and there is "no guarantee" that Australia will eventually get the promised US nuclear-powered submarines.
Turnbull also criticized Australia's role in the AUKUS agreement, calling it "a disaster." He stated, "The fundamental problem is that it is highly likely, I would even say almost certain, that we will never get any Virginia-class submarines." US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that Trump "supported" the agreement during a meeting with Australian Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Pentagon in February.
Prior to the meeting between Marles and Hegseth, the Albanese government had paid Washington $500 million (approximately AUD 798 million) as part of the AUKUS agreement. The plan aims to provide Australia with three Virginia-class submarines from the United States to increase the currently relatively lagging US submarine production rate. Hegseth said, "The President is very aware of and supports AUKUS and the investments that Australia is willing to make." He also stated that the Trump administration "certainly hopes" that the submarines will be delivered on time, with the first expected to be delivered in the early 2030s.
