June 3, 2026 — 4:25pm
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Former prime minister Scott Morrison has backed the move to buy only second-hand submarines from the United States, rather than a mix of new and old vessels as originally planned, as he called for Anthony Albanese to do more to sell the benefits of AUKUS to the public.
The Defence Department boss, navy chief and senior Albanese government ministers said it was always Australia’s preference to acquire three in-service Virginia-class submarines from the US, a claim lampooned by the Coalition and the Greens.
Morrison – who created the AUKUS pact with his American and British counterparts in 2021 – said he was relaxed about the decision to no longer acquire a new and upgraded Virginia-class submarine from 2038, as was announced in late 2023.
