Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wong for the question. I'm sure everybody is aware of the public commentary, news coverage and comments that had been made at the time in relation to awareness of discussions between Australia and France on matters leading up to the decision that was made by our government, in the national interest, to cancel the contracts in relation to the procurement of the Attack class diesel-powered submarines in favour of pursuing an alternative pathway, through the new AUKUS strategic partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom providing for procurement of a future nuclear-powered submarine alternative.

Everyone—and especially Senator Wong—I'm sure, is aware that there were suggestions that at some level France was unaware of elements of Australia's concerns about the type of program that we would need and the type of capability that we would need for the future—

Senator Wong, I think you would fully appreciate that what the Prime Minister when he landed in the UK sought to do was outlined very clearly, in response to some of that public commentary—precisely the type of engagements that had happened in the lead-up to that announcement and the type of discussions that had been had in relation to ensuring that the context in which all of those discussions were made was better understood in the public discourse surrounding that. We believe these were important national security decisions that firmly are in the national interest.