Wednesday 11 January 2023

The Opposition welcomes the bipartisan support and commitment of the US Congress for AUKUS, including the Representatives who affirmed this in writing to US President Joe Biden.

The Coalition, which alongside our US and UK partners formed the historic security pact in 2021, recognises that delivering future capability, including Australia’s first nuclear submarine, will require a significant step up from industry and government.

Production lines must be scaled up to get boats in the water as quickly as possible – whether it be to support ‘off the shelf’ options or to domestically produce nuclear powered submarines. Or both concurrently.

We know that AUKUS is a nation building opportunity for Australia and call on the Albanese Government to do whatever is necessary to drive contribution in a timely manner.

The Opposition remains committed to supporting the shared vision of AUKUS to secure Australia’s national interests.