Ex-PM Paul Keating slams his own side of politics over AUKUS nuclear submarines deal claiming it’s Labor’s worst global decision since World War I – as he questions Anthony Albanese’s competence
- Paul Keating calls AUKUS pact worst deal in history
- He questions the speed of Labor accepting the deal
- The former Labor leader says China is not a threat
Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has lashed Anthony Albanese‘s government over the AUKUS defence pact calling it ‘worst deal in history’ and questioning the Labor leader’s competence.
In a brutal takedown Mr Keating told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday the AUKUS defence pact, which will Australia buy eight nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with the US and Britain, was a strategic blunder because China presented no real threat of invasion.
He accused the Albanese government of accepting the $360 billion deal, which was negotiated by the by preceding Morrison government, in just 24 hours.
‘How would you do this in 24 hours?’ Mr Keaing asked.
‘You can only do it if you have no perceptive ability to understand the weight of the decisions you’re being asked to make.
Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating has lashed the Albanese government over the AUKUS defence pact
‘It’s what other people call incompetence. I’ll call it maybe “trying”.’
Calling it the worst decision by a Labor government since World War I prime minister Billy Hughes supported conscription Mr Keating said the whole deal was based on the false notion that China poised a direct threat to Australia.
‘This is a distortion and it’s untrue,’ Mr Keating said of this idea.
‘The Chinese have never implied that they would threaten us or said it explicitly.’
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