Former senator and ex-submariner Rex Patrick says Anthony Albanese’s unveiling of Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines on Tuesday will be a “fait accompli” that leaves vital questions unanswered over coming decades.
Patrick has cast doubt on whether Australia will end up with a nuclear-powered submarine built by the British using US technology. Instead, he thinks the country could end up acquiring and maintaining additional Virginia-class submarines on top of the three to five that the Americans will send.
He says the ultimate cost of nuclear-powered submarines is unclear, as are details of how they will be managed, and flags concerns about British delays,
“We’ve not heard anything about things like nuclear stewardship, who will be the regulator, how they will handle spent fuel waste, how they will deal with any operational waste that that’s occurring, where these things will be based,” Patrick told ABC RN Breakfast.
“Now we have an announcement or a leak coming out about Port Kembla over the last 24 hours. You’ve got to ask yourself, Why are all of these things being held secret? There are clearly some genuine secrets in a nuclear submarine program. But tomorrow we will be presented with a fait accompli without having had any public debate at all on some really important issues.”
Patrick said the PM “can stand up tomorrow and say whatever he likes”, but that did not mean Australia would be able to acquire British nuclear submarines would happen by 2040.
“The most likely scenario, now, is that we’ll end up getting these Virginia-class submarines we will build up a capability that can manage those boats. The British will be late with their program, they’re already late with their Dreadnought nuclear ballistic submarines.
“So what will happen, in my view, is we’ll end up getting the Virginia-class submarines, and then, following on from that we will end up getting more. Why would you go with five other classes of submarine, then switch to a different type.”
