Australia Launches Crowd-Funded Inquiry Into AUKUS Submarine Deal Led by Peter Garrett

Australia has launched a crowd-funded inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal, with former environment minister Peter Garrett set to head the five-month review and deliver a final report by October 30.

“An exterior view of the HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74), a Royal Australian Navy Collins class submarine, in Melbourne, Australia, on September 4, 2025”

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Garrett said the independent inquiry into the A$368bn ($239bn) deal was "long overdue," and the BBC reported the review will examine whether the submarines can be delivered on time and on budget, how nuclear waste will be managed, and whether Australia’s defense and strategic interests are well served.

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The Guardian reported the inquiry is being launched by a group of Labor veterans and public figures concerned proper scrutiny has never been applied to the $368bn defence plan, and it will hold public hearings and take written submissions before issuing its findings.

The BBC also said the review will ask how the deal will affect Australia’s relationship with China, its largest trading partner, as the AUKUS pact was first announced in September 2021.

The Global Times reported that a Chinese expert, Ning Tuanhui, said the inquiry reflects growing voices within Australia questioning whether it is worthwhile to sacrifice relations with China to accommodate US interests, and Ning said the developments have left the Anthony Albanese administration under mounting pressure from two flanks.

The BBC said the inquiry’s key questions include whether acquiring the nuclear-powered attack submarines will make Australia safer and what impact it will have on the country’s standing in terms of regional peace and security.

Garrett told the Guardian Australia that "This inquiry is doing the job that a proper parliamentary inquiry should be doing," as he argued that "How is it that there’s been inquiries about the submarine program in other countries and we haven’t had a full parliamentary inquiry here?"

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The Guardian reported the inquiry will consider whether the subs can be delivered on time and on budget, how nuclear waste will be managed, and if Australia’s defence and strategic interests are well served by the deal.

The BBC reported that the inquiry will also ask if the deal undermines the country’s sovereignty and where and how the nuclear waste will be stored.

In parallel, the Forces News account said Australia has not yet identified a permanent storage site for radioactive waste from the future submarine fleet, including high-level radioactive waste that will remain toxic for thousands of years.

The BBC reported that from 2027 the pact will allow both the US and UK to base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia, while the inquiry is set to examine how the deal affects Australia’s relationship with China.

“Key findings - Australia's cautious stance toward US military actions threatens the AUKUS security pact”

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The Guardian said the first Virginia-class nuclear sub from the US is due to arrive in Australia in 2032, with another arriving every four years, before the Australian-built model is ready for operations, and it added that the bespoke SSN Aukus model is due to come online in 2042.

The Guardian also reported that Australia is extending use of 30-year-old Collins-class submarines for an extra 10 years to cover capability gaps before the Aukus fleet arrives.

The Global Times reported that Ning Tuanhui said the inquiry has dealt a blow to the AUKUS pact and that developments have reflected concerns among some Australian Labor Party figures over the prospects of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, its staggering costs, distrust of the US government, and the program’s implications for Australia’s sovereignty.

The BBC said China condemned the agreement as "extremely irresponsible" when it was first announced, and it reported that the inquiry will ask how the deal will affect Australia’s relationship with China, its largest trading partner.