Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet confirmed at Senate estimates that no-one has investigated the leaking of text messages between the Prime Minister and the French president. Can the Prime Minister explain how this personal text message on his phone was leaked? How can the Prime Minister expect cabinet discussions to remain confidential when his communications with foreign leaders leak?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I am asked about my communications with other leaders, particularly the French President, and that was in relation to the government's decision to enter into an agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom to give Australia the opportunity to develop nuclear propelled submarines. I can confirm that, when I spoke to the French President back in June, I was very clear with the French President that the conventionally powered diesel submarines that we had entered into an agreement to build with the French government, through the Naval Group, would not meet our strategic requirements given the situation in our region. I was very clear about those capabilities.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton on a point of order?

Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (House)) | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker, on relevance. The question I asked was whether in fact the Prime Minister could confirm how his text message was leaked and how we can in any way trust this Prime Minister about cabinet leaks if he cannot in any way determine how his text message was leaked in relation to—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton will resume his seat. It's not an opportunity to ask the question again, Member for Gorton. The question goes to the dealings between the Prime Minister and the President of France and the leaking of text messages. The Prime Minister is relevant and has the call.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

So when ultimately we were able to form the agreement between Australia, the UK and the United States known as AUKUS, the most significant advance in our partnership arrangements with both of these countries to protect Australia's national security—as we were able to achieve with ANZUS many, many years ago—we were in a position to go forward with our plans to develop nuclear propelled submarines. At that point, we had to advise the French government that we would not be continuing. If those opposite think there is a friendly way or an easy way to tell another country that a $90 billion contract can't be continued, I'm all ears. But to have engaged in the process that those opposite pretend we could have would have put at risk the AUKUS agreement and Australia's national security. This is what you have to do as a Prime Minister. If I have to decide between Australia's national security interests and avoiding potentially offending someone, I choose Australia. We know what the Leader of the Opposition would do.

Opposition members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know what members on my left are going to do when we get rid of these masks, because I'll be able to see you screaming out much more easily than I can right now, but that shouldn't be an incentive to continue.