A former Australian defence minister has initiated a crowd-funded inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal, raising questions about transparency and cost. The move comes amid growing unease over the trilateral pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which aims to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra by the early 2040s.
Dr Andrew Leigh, who served as a minister under the previous Labor government, has launched the independent review, claiming the deal lacks proper oversight. “The AUKUS agreement is one of the largest defence procurements in Australian history, yet it has been shrouded in secrecy,” Leigh said. “Australian taxpayers deserve to know the full cost, the timeline, and the strategic rationale.”
The inquiry will be funded through public donations, with a target of $500,000. It aims to examine several key issues: the affordability of the submarines, the impact on Australia's domestic shipbuilding industry, and the geopolitical implications of acquiring nuclear-powered vessels. Critics argue that the deal, signed in 2021, commits Australia to a decades-long, multi-billion dollar expenditure that may strain the national budget.
The AUKUS pact has been a cornerstone of Australia's pivot towards the US-led alliance system in the Indo-Pacific. However, the move to cancel a previous submarine contract with France in favour of AUKUS caused diplomatic friction. The crowd-funded inquiry reflects a broader public debate about the transparency of defence spending and Australia's strategic priorities.
Leigh's initiative has garnered support from peace groups and some political figures. “This is an opportunity to have a real conversation about what kind of security we want for our children,” said Dr Emily Marks, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, speaking in a personal capacity. “But the inquiry must adhere to rigorous standards. We need facts, not just suspicion.”
The Australian government maintains that the AUKUS deal is essential for national security. A spokesperson for the Defence Department stated, “Australia is committed to delivering a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine capability. This requires confidentiality to protect sensitive information. We are confident that the agreement provides value for money and will be delivered on time.”
The crowd-funded inquiry hopes to release its initial findings within six months. It will be overseen by a panel of experts, including former military officers, economists, and legal scholars. The outcome could influence public opinion and potentially put pressure on the government to release more details about the contract.
Leigh insists that the inquiry is not intended to undermine the alliance but to ensure accountability. “We are not against AUKUS in principle, but we are against billion-dollar blank cheques signed in secret,” he said. “A democracy requires sunlight. This is an attempt to shed some.”
As the submarines are not expected to enter service for nearly two decades, the debate will likely intensify. For now, the crowd-funded inquiry marks a unique experiment in civilian oversight of defence policy, reminiscent of past independent reviews of large-scale projects. Whether it will yield substantive change remains to be seen, but it has already opened a new front in the battle for transparency.
