Independent inquiry calls for termination of AUKUS submarine pact

An independent inquiry led by former Labor minister Peter Garrett has recommended the immediate termination of the AUKUS Pillar I nuclear-powered submarine program. The report, titled “Surrendering Australia: The AUKUS Deception”, argues that the pact threatens national sovereignty and risks involving Australia in a conflict with China.

The inquiry accuses successive Coalition and Labor governments of concealing the true costs and dangers of the agreement while avoiding parliamentary scrutiny. It warns that the current submarine delivery timetable is likely unachievable, potentially leaving Australia without an effective underwater fighting force.

Among its 16 recommendations, the inquiry calls for a royal commission into the agreement, an independent cost audit by the Australian National Audit Office, and the suspension of plans to host rotating US nuclear-powered submarines near Perth. It also suggests halting AUKUS work at Adelaide’s Osborne naval precinct and ending the practice of Australian submariners serving on American vessels. The report urges the Albanese government to develop an alternative submarine strategy and recalibrate strategic relationships with both Washington and Beijing.