Sydney Peace Foundation Welcomes AUKUS Public Inquiry
The Sydney Peace Foundation welcomes the launch of the AUKUS Public Inquiry and is proud to be part of the consortium supporting the inquiry, initiated by the Australian Peace and Security Forum (APSF). The inquiry is led by a panel of eminent commissioners:
- Peter Garrett – Lead Commissioner and former Environment Minister
- Karina Lester – Yankunytjatjara woman and ICAN Australia Ambassador
- Chris Barrie – Admiral and former Chief of the Australian Defence Force
- Leanne Minshull – Co-CEO of The Australia Institute
- Carmen Lawrence – Former Premier of Western Australia
The AUKUS agreement was conceived in secret, without public debate, and without parliamentary scrutiny. Of the three countries party to this deal, Australia, which carries the greatest share of both the cost and the risk, is the only one not to have put AUKUS to a parliamentary review. Australia has already spent $10 billion on US and UK shipyards, and with a price tag now estimated at over $368 billion, the Australian public deserves a say and deserves the truth.
Recent events have made the need for scrutiny harder to ignore. In late May, Defence Minister Richard Marles accepted three second-hand US submarines, while the ageing Collins-class fleet is being extended out of necessity. Together, these developments suggest that the nuclear-powered submarine capability at the centre of AUKUS is either significantly delayed or no longer on the table. Australians are right to ask what they are actually getting for this money.
The Sydney Peace Foundation has long held that genuine security is built through regional cooperation, not through military arrangements that bind Australia ever closer to a single great power’s strategic objectives.
“Instead of doubling down on a deal that was never put to the Australian people, Australia should be looking at the shifting power in the Asia-Pacific and recognising the need to align more with our neighbours,” said Melanie Morrison, Executive Director of the Sydney Peace Foundation.
According to July 2025 polling commissioned by The Australia Institute, 66 per cent of Australians support a parliamentary inquiry into the AUKUS security agreement.
“I don’t think the Australian community is altogether sure about this commitment – and that’s the reason why we’re going to hold this public inquiry”, said Admiral Chris Barrie.
We thank the commissioners for generously contributing their time and expertise on a voluntary basis. We encourage all Australians to engage with the inquiry process, and if able, contribute to the crowdfunding campaign.
Submissions can be made through the AUKUS Public Enquiry Website.