A group of high profile Australians, including retired senior Australian Defence Force leaders, have co-signed an open letter to the Albanese government, calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal.
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The letter, published today, calls for greater transparency in the decisions behind and the pathway to Australia acquiring US-built Virginia-class submarines and a future Australian-made, British designed nuclear-powered submarine.
"This acquisition deal has serious deficiencies," the letter states.
"These deficiencies need to be addressed by a properly constituted Parliamentary Inquiry to reassure the Australian community that this is a reasonable deal with a reasonable chance of success at reasonable cost."
Co-signing the letter is prominent Illawarra critic of the AUKUS deal, South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris.
Mr Rorris has previously called for Port Kembla to be ruled out as a location for a future east coast base, after the recent Defence Strategic Review stated the need for a facility to be built on Australia's east coast.
Co-signing the letter, sponsored by the Australia Institute, is the think tank's director of international and security affairs, Allan Behm.
"Experts and leaders across military, political and academic spheres hold substantial concerns which remain unanswered," he said.
"It's only appropriate that the Australian people and the Parliament are given the opportunity to have their questions answered."
In the lead up to the federal election last year, Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes said the government had to come clean on how it arrived at the three-point shortlist.
"Our community deserves to be told the details of any proposal, rather than dropping a headline late on a Sunday night," Ms Byrnes told reporters in March last year.
"Our community should be given more information, details and plans for consultation."
Now in government, Ms Byrnes's colleague assistant defence minister Matt Thistlethwaite told Illawarra community leaders that the government was considering all options, and that no decision would be made before late in the current decade.
"The Assistant Minister made clear that no decision has been made on the location of an east coast base and won't be made till late this decade and that all feasible options will be considered - not just the previous three identified locations of Brisbane, Newcastle and Port Kembla," Ms Brynes said.
"The Albanese Labor Government has a strong track record of consultation, collaboration and engagement. This is how we work. We include the whole community."
Read the full letter below.
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