Adelaide AUKUS inquiry hears from Pyne and Patrick

An AUKUS inquiry in Adelaide has heard warnings that the submarine deal may not be delivered on time or on budget, alongside claims the government has a secret plan for nuclear waste.

The Public Inquiry into AUKUS held hearings in Adelaide this week, with evidence from former defence minister Christopher Pyne, former senator Rex Patrick, former Coalition defence minister Linda Reynolds and former foreign minister Gareth Evans.

Christopher Pyne told the AUKUS inquiry on Thursday that AUKUS was not just about procurement, but also about creating “a new US submarine base in the Indian Ocean”. He also said: “no, I don’t think it will come in on time or on budget. I can say that now because I am not in government.”

Evidence from Adelaide hearings

Rex Patrick, a former senator and submariner, told the inquiry there was extreme risk associated with the project, including what he described as a government plan for where AUKUS nuclear waste will be located that has not been made public. Patrick told the inquiry he is in the Federal Court seeking access to the plan, and said one likely site is South Australia.

First Nations people from across South Australia also met with inquiry commissioners on Friday, raising concerns about AUKUS and repeating their call for the principle of “free prior and informed consent” to be mandated wherever local communities could be affected.

Lead Commissioner Peter Garrett rejected comments by SA Treasurer Koutsantonis that the AUKUS inquiry was a “show trial”, saying the hearings had already included evidence from people with different political views. He said Adelaide suburbs and the rest of South Australia were “ground zero for AUKUS”.

Matt Murphy, Assistant National Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, compared the previous French submarine contract with AUKUS and said the current SSN-AUKUS arrangement contained about 20% less Australian material.