An Australian senator and a former US Navy secretary, who served underneath Donald Trump, have argued over Australia’s $368bn AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal.
Greens senator Jordan Steele-John and Richard V. Spencer had been each company on the ABC’s Q&A panel on Monday evening, when the topic of the Defence settlement was introduced up.
Senator Steele-John reiterating the Greens’ place that the AUKUS deal must be scrapped with a purpose to fund initiatives like dental being included in Medicare and extra social housing.
Host Stan Grant then threw the matter over to Mr Spencer, who requested Senator Steele-John: “How (do you) sustain national security?”
“Diplomacy, Richard,” Senator Steele-John hit again, his remark met with sporadic applause and laughter from some members of the Q&A viewers.
“I do not want the Australian community bound for the next 30 years to the United States and the UK and to your foreign policy decisions,” he continued.
“I do not want our nation round the table trying to convince whichever right-wing, conservative evangelical you elect next. I don’t want it, and I don’t want our kids going to the wars they will start.”
“I totally understand,” Mr Spencer responded. “If you think that I want your treasure and my treasure going off to war, you are wildly mistaken.
“The reason you have strong national security is to give your (foreign ministry) one more day to make their point.”
“Everyone’s had their Weet-Bix tonight, haven’t they?” Grant joked, altering the topic.
Under the AUKUS settlement, initially signed by former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison in September 2021, Australia will purchase eight Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines underneath the technology-sharing deal.
The sheer value of the pact has been the matter of no small debate since particulars of the settlement had been revealed earlier in March, in addition to considerations over the effectiveness of the Virginia-class subs by the point the ultimate three are delivered a while within the 2060s.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
