An independent public Inquiry into the AUKUS security partnership Launched June 2nd 2026
Independent Civil Society Review  ·  Launched June 2nd 2026

Australians deserve the truth
about AUKUS

Will AUKUS keep us safe — at what cost?

A Public Inquiry examining the AUKUS security partnership between:
Australia
United Kingdom
United States
Support the Inquiry → Make a Submission → Attend an Event/Hearing →

Help fund a genuine, open public Inquiry into AUKUS.

$368B+
Estimated Cost to Australia
$10B
Already Spent on US & UK Shipyards
Zero
Parliamentary Scrutiny of the Deal
Leading This Inquiry

The Commissioners leading this Inquiry

Click each card to read their full biography.

Peter Garrett
The Hon Peter Garrett AM FTSE
Lead Commissioner
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The Hon Peter Garrett AM FTSE
Lead Commissioner
Peter Garrett is an activist and member of Midnight Oil. He served two terms as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, before entering parliament as a Labor MP in 2004. As Environment Minister, Garrett initiated the campaign to end "scientific whaling" in Antarctica. As Minister for School Education he legislated the new needs based school funding model (The Gonski reforms). Following the Oils two recent ARIA number 1 albums: The Makarrata Project and Resist, Garrett's The True North debuted at number 1 on the Australian Artists Album Chart in 2024. Garrett is a Member of the Order of Australia, and an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France). In 2026, he was appointed Board Chair of Landcare Australia.
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Karina Lester
Karina Lester
Yankunytjatjara Woman · ICAN Australia Ambassador
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Karina Lester
Yankunytjatjara Woman · ICAN Australia Ambassador
Karina Lester is a Yankunytjatjara Woman from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands), far north South Australia. She is a second-generation survivor of the British Nuclear Tests at Emu Field, 1953 and is the youngest daughter of the late Yami Lester OAM (1940-2017), who was blinded by the 'Black Mist' (Radiation Fallout) over his traditional lands at Walyatjata (Walatina-APY Lands). The Lester family have been a stalwart of nuclear resistance for decades. Karina is an ICAN Australia Ambassador and attended the negotiating conference, New York City, USA, for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (2017). Karina attended the Second (2MSP-2023) and Third (3MPS-2024) Meetings of State Parties, New York City, USA. Karina attended the World Nuclear Victims Forum in Hiroshima, Japan (2015) and spoke about the consequences of British nuclear testing on her family and Aboriginal people more broadly. She worked alongside her grandmother, late Eileen Kampakuta Brown AM (1938-2012) in the Irati Wanti Campaign (1998-2004), against the Howard Government's proposal for a Nuclear Waste Dump in South Australia and in July 2004 the Federal Government abandoned their plans for a radioactive waste dump in South Australia. Karina participated in The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission in March 2015-May 2016, speaking strongly on the impacts felt by Aboriginal people in South Australia and the 'We Say No' Campaign. In 2024 Karina was a witness at the House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy. Karina continues to speak up about the harms felt by her people and with her Anti-Nuclear activism in South Australia.
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Admiral Chris Barrie
Honorary Professor, Admiral Chris Barrie AC RAN (Ret'd)
Former Chief of the Australian Defence Force
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Honorary Professor, Admiral Chris Barrie AC RAN (Ret'd)
Former Chief of the Australian Defence Force
Admiral Chris Barrie has worked on strategic leadership issues and with top level leaders over the last three decades. He commanded all arms of the Australian Defence Force from July 1998 till July 2002. After leaving the Navy he has been variously consultant, teacher and mentor working at Oxford University, ANU and the National Defense University in Washington DC. At ANU he was appointed honorary professor in 2015. Today at ANU he is Patron of the Australian Crisis Simulation Summit, a student led national one-week event for aspiring national security policy makers. He teaches occasionally on campus and conducts simulations to complement course work. As an executive member of the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group he is an outspoken commentator on Climate Change and Security matters trying to raise awareness of the risks and potential costs of inaction. He represents Australia on the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change.
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Dr Carmen Lawrence
The Hon. Dr Carmen Lawrence AO
First woman Premier and Treasurer of a State government in Australia · Professor Emerita, University of Western Australia
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The Hon. Dr Carmen Lawrence AO
First woman Premier and Treasurer of a State government in Australia · Professor Emerita, University of Western Australia
After training as a research psychologist, Dr Lawrence entered politics in 1986, serving at both State and Federal levels for 21 years. She was the first woman Premier and Treasurer of a State government in Australia. She was elected to Federal politics in 1994 as the Member for Fremantle and was appointed Minister for Health and Human Services and Minister assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women. She held various portfolios in Opposition and was elected National President of the Labor Party in 2004. She retired from politics in 2007 and is currently Professor Emerita in the School of Psychological Science at the University of Western Australia.
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Leanne Minshull
Leanne Minshull
Co-CEO, The Australia Institute · Board Member, Graeme Wood Foundation
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Leanne Minshull
Co-CEO, The Australia Institute · Board Member, Graeme Wood Foundation
Leanne Minshull is the Co-CEO at the Australia Institute and a board member of the Graeme Wood Foundation. She was admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1999 and has worked as a senior strategist in social, environmental, and political organisations. Prior to her appointment at the Australia Institute, she worked at Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam. Leanne has worked as chief of staff to a State Minister and was the Director of Strategy for Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown. She has also run successful small businesses including a pub in Tasmania and her own strategy consultancy.
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About This Inquiry

Why we urgently need a Public Inquiry

The AUKUS deal was conceived in secret and with deception — and continues to be shrouded in secrecy despite the incredibly high stakes and massive cost. Our government has already spent $10 billion of our taxes on US and UK shipyards at a time when much of the world is in conflict and Australians are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis.

A group of former MPs, retired military and naval officers, leading strategists and academics, human rights lawyers and union leaders are committing to an independent Public Inquiry into AUKUS. This Inquiry is coordinated by the Australian Peace and Security Forum (APSF) — ensuring it is grounded in expertise, independence, and a commitment to serious evidence-based examination.

Preview our policy on the independent inquiry here →

A Public Inquiry must answer:
  • Will Australia ever receive the submarines we're paying for?
  • Where and how will the high-level nuclear waste be stored?
  • How many real Australian jobs will this create and at what opportunity cost?
  • Why are we joining the US to potentially go to war against China, our major trading partner?
  • Will AUKUS jeopardise our sovereignty?
  • Will AUKUS make us safer — or turn us into a nuclear target?
"We're writing the cheques. We're taking the most risk. But we are the least curious and the least informed. And whether you like AUKUS or not — that is a disgrace."
— The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull AC, 29th Prime Minister of Australia
"So many questions, so few answers. The Australian public deserve more than Cold War rhetoric to justify the mind-boggling expenditure associated with acquiring second-hand, and yet to be designed attack class, nuclear propelled submarines."
— Doug Cameron, former ALP Senator
"AUKUS represents the worst defence decision since we relied on Britain to protect us in World War II."
— Major General Michael G Smith AO (Ret'd)
"Australia is spending an eye-watering amount to build a capability to defend us from a military threat which in fact is most likely to arise because we have that capability."
— Prof. Hon. Gareth Evans AC KC FASSA FAIIA, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs
Key Issues

The questions this Inquiry is examining

From financial accountability to nuclear risk — these are the critical areas under review.

01
Cost, Jobs & Fiscal Impact

Is the $368B+ price tag accurate? What are the opportunity costs for national security, housing, jobs, healthcare, education, climate action, and Closing the Gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians?

02
Strategic Rationale

Does AUKUS genuinely enhance Australian security, or does it increase our exposure to great-power conflict with China?

03
Sovereignty & Independence

Is AUKUS locking Australia further into the US war machine at the expense of our independence as a middle power?

04
Nuclear Non-Proliferation & Environmental Consequences

Does the transfer of nuclear technology set a dangerous precedent? What are the implications for our existing nuclear non-proliferation treaty commitments? Where and how will medium and high-level nuclear waste be stored? What are the long-term environmental risks of operating nuclear-powered submarines in Australian waters?

05
Advanced Capabilities & Education

What is the impact of AUKUS on Australia's tertiary sector, research institutions, and universities? How is the expansion into AI, autonomous weapons, and emerging technologies reshaping Australian defence, and at what cost to sovereign capability? Why must technological advancement be progressed primarily under the AUKUS banner?

06
Alternatives Considered

Were credible and less costly alternatives to AUKUS properly assessed before the decision was made in secret?

Public Record

View Submissions

Browse written submissions received by the AUKUS Public Inquiry. We now have over 600 submissions, and this section is being populated on a rolling basis as they are processed and cleared for publication.

Scroll to browse and click on a submission to open in a new tab

SUBMISSION #556
James Beattie
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #550
Dr Toby Walsh
Professor of AI, UNSW
SUBMISSION #549
Yee-Fui Ng
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #540
Sebastian Tops
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #537
James Beattie
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #535
Daniel McClelland
On behalf of National Union of Students
SUBMISSION #534
Hanzel-Jude Pador
On behalf of Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association
SUBMISSION #530
Jamie Purcell
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #529
Graham Holton
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #527
Marcus Mariani
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #522
Emeritus Professor Chilla Bulbeck
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #521
Denis Doherty
On behalf of Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition
SUBMISSION #520
Stuart Burney
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #518
Caring for South Australia
Organisation
SUBMISSION #514
Nicholas Deane
On behalf of Marrickville Peace Group
SUBMISSION #513
Adjunct Professor Jocelyn Chey
Australia-China Relations Institute, UTS
SUBMISSION #512
James Whelan
On behalf of Climate Action Newcastle
SUBMISSION #509
Janette Kodaih
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #507
Lim Teck Ghee
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #498
Latoya Voogt
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #496
Peter Corkeron
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #495
Nick Alias
On behalf of Wollongong Against War and Nukes
SUBMISSION #473
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #470
Tom Hayes
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #469
Graeme Dunk
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #466
Ian Dunlop
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #465
Alan Cummine
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #460
Melanie Selwood
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #459
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #458
Bridget Ikin
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #457
David Lee Andrew
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #455
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #452
Tabitha Lean
On behalf of RAD Faction
SUBMISSION #448
Alex Kemeny
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #446
Kym Davey
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #444
Simon Thwaites
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #436
William Edward Hollingsworth
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #435
Iain Walker
On behalf of newDemocracy Foundation
SUBMISSION #434
Robyn Wood
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #433
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #432
Eileen Darley
On behalf of Port Adelaide Community Opposing AUKUS (PACOA)
SUBMISSION #401
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #400
Ian Crabb
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #399
Sally Wilson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #396
The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull AC
29th Prime Minister of Australia
SUBMISSION #394
Vivienne Glance
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #393
Colin Mitchell
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #392
Christine Bennett
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #391
Merril Stokes
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #389
Dr Albert Palazzo
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #382
Doug Hewitt
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #380
John Bird
On behalf of Citizens Party
SUBMISSION #377
Adjunct Professor Mark Beeson
Australia-China Relations Institute, UTS
SUBMISSION #374
Mothers for a Sustainable South Australia
Organisation
SUBMISSION #358
Jim Green
On behalf of Friends of the Earth Adelaide
SUBMISSION #347
Richard David Hames
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #346
Brett Murrell
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #338
Tom Marwick
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #335
Peter Murphy
Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition
SUBMISSION #332
Chris Johansen
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #330
Barry Healy
Red Spark Perth
SUBMISSION #329
Derek Burke
On behalf of IPAN SA
SUBMISSION #328
John Lawrence Jiggens
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #326
Joanna Hayter
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #321
Don Mcallister
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #320
Leonie Lundy
On behalf of Stop AUKUS WA
SUBMISSION #318
Lee Priday
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #316
John Ballantyne
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #314
Peter Briggs
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #303
John Paterson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #292
Jon Rose
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #282
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #275
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #273
Ken McLeod
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #271
Simon Edwynne Beale
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #269
Ingrid Ralph
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #262
Richard Yuan
Founder and Chairman, ABC World Group
SUBMISSION #258
Dr Gideon Maxwell Polya
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #257
Dr Eric van Beurden
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #256
John Tolhurst
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #252
Arnold Dix
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #251
Al Rainnie & Darryn Snell
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #250
Chek Ling
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #248
David Spratt
Safe Climate Australia
SUBMISSION #247
Antony Hing
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #246
Frederick Fiedler
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #243
Ravi Krishnamurthy
On behalf of Australian Multicultural Action Network Inc
SUBMISSION #242
Colonel Neil Greet (Retd)
Australian Security Leaders Climate Group
SUBMISSION #241
Neil Anthony Gunningham
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #239
Mandy Sess
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #238
Chris Gardiner
On behalf of The Institute for Regional Security
SUBMISSION #237
Andrew P O'Brien
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #236
Matthew Donovan
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #235
David Livingstone
Commentator
SUBMISSION #234
Bevan Leigh Ramsden
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #233
Diane Atkinson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #231
Anthony Ilott
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #227
Ian Lowe
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #226
Heidi Glaser
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #225
David Hellicar
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #223
Kerrianne Sheridan
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #222
Bill Watts
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #221
Hugh Martin Milner
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #218
Suzanne Pinchen
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #214
Allan Wilson Kelly
On behalf of Alternative Science Technical Research Organisation
SUBMISSION #213
Frank Lister
Australian mineral exporter
SUBMISSION #212
John Dynan
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #209
Peta Newbound
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #208
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #205
Jasmin Diab
On behalf of Global Nuclear Security Partners
SUBMISSION #204
Dr Tony Webb
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #200
Rod Campbell, Richard Denniss & Jack Thrower
On behalf of The Australia Institute
SUBMISSION #198
Janet Pukallus
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #197
Richard Whitebrook
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #192
Constantine Pakavakis
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #191
Anthony John Gill
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #189
Domenico Soccio
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #188
Richard Coathup
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #182
Wayne Reynolds
Australian Defence Force Academy (Honorary Associate Professor)
SUBMISSION #180
Nola Kelly
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #179
Monica Mesch
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #173
John David Glazebrook
On behalf of People Against Insanity
SUBMISSION #171
Richard David Hames
On behalf of Asian Foresight Institute
SUBMISSION #170
John Thompson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #169
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #168
Simon Murr
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #166
Elizabeth Jane Furler Holzner
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #165
Tracey Asquith
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #162
Steve Glasgow
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #161
Amanda southern
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #159
Julie Long OAM
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #153
William Bellotti
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #152
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #151
David Kanaley
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #149
Robert Barwick
On behalf of Australian Citizens Party
SUBMISSION #148
Michelle Freney
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #147
David Jonathan Beardsmore
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #145
Kirsten Muir
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #144
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #141
Peter Steindl
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #139
Emeritus Professor Dennis Rumley
Curtin University
SUBMISSION #138
David John Fraenkel
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #137
John Richards
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #136
Andrew Gaczol
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #135
Franco Smargiassi
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #133
Barbara Jackson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #132
Hugo Toro
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #131
Rowan Huxtable
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #130
MG Page
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #129
Mark Anning
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #128
Donald Keith Purnell
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #124
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #123
Grant Keady
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #122
Michael Sanderson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #119
Maurice McGahey
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #108
Gordon Morton
On behalf of 8M Building
SUBMISSION #103
Leo Kerr
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #100
Deborah Torrens
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #99
Catherine Brown
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #91
Yohan Kodikara
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #90
Ian Peters
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #89
Gunnar Martschinke
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #87
John Adrian Carver
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #84
Erik D Nielsen
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #83
Robyn Pogmore
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #82
Erik D Nielsen
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #81
Michael Macfarlane
Former Royal Australian Navy personnel and Sonar operator
SUBMISSION #79
Anthony J Learmonth
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #77
Daniel Speed
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #75
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #70
John Leslie Lander
On behalf of No AUKUS Victoria
SUBMISSION #66
Richard Llewellyn
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #64
Hilton Adam Solyom
Professional / Expert
SUBMISSION #63
Dr Colin Hughes
Former Head of Public Health
SUBMISSION #61
Ian Murray
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #59
Policy Watchdog Australia
Organisation
SUBMISSION #58
Dr Alex Byrne AM
Professional Librarian and Researcher
SUBMISSION #56
Wayne Hawkins
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #53
Tim Fletcher
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #52
Peter Jerrim
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #51
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #50
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #46
Steven Middendorf
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #45
Michael Webb
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #38
Emeritus Professor Dennis Rumley
Curtin University
SUBMISSION #37
Louise Fowler-Smith
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #34
Danny Maslowicz
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #33
Palaniappan subramanian
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #32
Georgina Napier
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #28
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #25
Toby Sterling
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #24
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #23
Gary Saunders
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #16
John Charles Paterson
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #15
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #12
David Bowyer
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #11
Frances Letters
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #9
Bob Beaver
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #8
Anonymous
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #6
Christine Hooper
Member of the Public
SUBMISSION #2
Tim Frodsham
IPAN
SUBMISSION #1
Nicole Munro
Member of the Public
Hearing Presentations

Melbourne Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions were received ahead of the Melbourne/Naarm hearing on 11 June 2026, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day.

Fremantle Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions and hearing transcripts relate to the Walyalup/Fremantle hearing, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day.

Adelaide Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions and hearing transcripts relate to the Tarndanya/Adelaide hearing, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day.

Sydney Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions and hearing transcripts relate to the Sydney hearing, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day.

Newcastle Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions relate to the Newcastle hearing, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day. Transcripts for two speakers are still pending and will be added once available.

Wollongong Hearing Presentations

The following written submissions relate to the Wollongong hearing, presented in the order in which speakers appeared on the day. Transcripts for some speakers are still pending and will be added once available.

Have Your Say

Make a Submission

We invite written, oral, and video submissions from Australian citizens, organisations, and those in the Pacific and wider region with an interest in the AUKUS security partnership. All views are welcome and anonymous submissions are accepted. Submissions close September 1st, 2026.

Submit online

Please use our online form to make your submission. This is our preferred method and ensures your submission is received and recorded correctly.

Make a Submission →
Submit by email

If you do not have a Google account and are unable to access the online form, you may submit by email. Please indicate the following:

  • Whether you're submitting as a member of the public, a professional or expert, student, or on behalf of an organisation
  • State or territory and relevant postcode
  • If you would be willing to appear at a public hearing, subject to location

Note: you do not need to provide the above information if you are submitting anonymously.

publicinquiryintoaukus@gmail.com
Public Hearings/Events

Attend an Event/Hearing

Public hearings and webinars are scheduled across Australia and online. All are welcome to attend in person or observe online. Locations include:

Presentations will be delivered by invited submitters and Commissioners will engage with the evidence provided. Short presentations are also welcomed on the day without a prior submission, subject to time and availability. To express your interest, nominate yourself during registration.

Register to Attend →

Previous hearings

Tarndanya / Adelaide — Full Hearing Livestream

Tarndanya Adelaide Hearing Livestream
▶

Tarndanya / Adelaide — 16 July 2026

The third public hearing of the AUKUS Public Inquiry was held on the traditional Country of the Kaurna people, at the Conservation Council of South Australia's Event Theatre, followed by a dedicated First Nations Yarn the next day.

View on YouTube →

Featured Witness

The Hon. Christopher Pyne
▶

Christopher Pyne: Why AUKUS is worth the cost and the delays

Former Australian Defence Minister; Strategic Advisor, Lobbyist and Company Director, Pyne & Partners

The Hon. Christopher Pyne told the Adelaide hearing that AUKUS reflects a permanent shift in Australia's strategic environment, driven by China's blue-water navy and a less predictable United States — arguing the program's cost and delivery timelines are the price of genuine sovereign capability.

“Do I think they will be delivered on time? No. But it’s a permanent change. It is bipartisan, it’s unstoppable, and it’s critical to our national security. We are seeing a permanent boost to defence spending, upgrades to all our bases and facilities, and a huge investment in STEM and trade skills, because we will need the workforce to achieve the outcomes that we need.”

Featured Witness

Rex Patrick
▶

Rex Patrick: “We’re staring at a serious capability gap”

Former Senator for South Australia (2017–2022); Former Royal Australian Navy Submariner; Transparency Advocate

Rex Patrick, drawing on his experience as a former submariner and senator, warned the Adelaide hearing that slipping delivery timelines for the Virginia-class boats risk leaving Australia without an effective submarine capability for years, at a moment of growing regional uncertainty.

“AUKUS is a project that seeks to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability. The rationale for doing so has never been explained to the public. It seeks to acquire that capability at a bankrupting absolute cost, and at a significant opportunity cost for the rest of the Australian Defence Force. The project is laden with risk — all types of risk — yet Defence and the Parliament march on blindly, with no clawback provisions to protect the taxpayers’ money already sent overseas, no off-ramps, and no Plan B.”

Featured Witness

Andrew Gaczol
▶

Andrew Gaczol: “AUKUS Pillar One is a delusion”

Senior Researcher in Federal Parliament; Former Intelligence Analyst, Department of Defence

Andrew Gaczol told the Adelaide hearing that AUKUS warrants serious scrutiny on cost-effectiveness grounds, comparing its price tag to other major multinational projects and questioning the secrecy surrounding how the deal was negotiated.

“There must be some serious questions asked as to whether this is value for money…I note that the International Space Station’s cost is approximately 150 billion, and that’s a multinational project spanning decades. AUKUS was negotiated in the highest secrecy between the UK, the US, and Australia.”

Featured Witness

Matt Murphy and John Adley, Electrical Trades Union
▶

ETU: “Australians are being asked to pay more and accept less”

Matt Murphy, National Assistant Secretary; John Adley, Branch Secretary — Electrical Trades Union

The Electrical Trades Union told the Adelaide hearing that AUKUS's SSN-AUKUS arrangement contains around 20 per cent less Australian content than the earlier French submarine contract, with the highest-technology work set to be done overseas rather than by Australian workers.

“The SSN-AUKUS arrangement as currently structured contains around 20 per cent less Australian material than the French contract. The highest-technology work will be done overseas, not here. Two generations of Australian workers will lose access to highly-skilled, well-paid, WHS-insured and secure jobs.”

Featured Witness

Steve Glasgow
▶

Steve Glasgow: “You cannot guard Australia with legacy steel”

Strategic Analyst

Strategic analyst Steve Glasgow told the Adelaide hearing that the AUKUS Pillar One framework fails to deliver Australia an independent submarine capability, arguing it ties the nation's maintenance and decision-making capacity to foreign supply chains and shipyards.

“The current AUKUS Pillar One framework fundamentally fails Australian sovereign requirements. It does not give us an independent capability. It shackles us to a deeply transactional foreign supply chain. It hands us a maintenance leash tied entirely to American and British engineering yards, and it strips away our independent military decision-making.”

Featured Witness

Chris Schacht
▶

Chris Schacht says “The AUKUS deal is terrible”

Former Senator for South Australia and Former Minister in the Keating Government; Former Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Former Senator Chris Schacht told the Adelaide hearing that the AUKUS deal is a bad one for Australia on every measure, from its financial cost to its impact on national sovereignty, arguing Australia should instead pursue genuine self-reliance in its own defence.

“All I want to say is that the AUKUS deal is terrible. It's terrible for the cost of money. It's terrible for what it does to Australian sovereignty. And in the end, our future in the Pacific is to have, as Kim Beazley would call, our own defence — self-reliance.”

Featured Witness

Eileen Darley & Sandra Dann
▶

Eileen Darley & Sandra Dann (PACOA): “AUKUS is a war pact”

Port Adelaide Community Opposing AUKUS (PACOA)

Eileen Darley and Sandra Dann of Port Adelaide Community Opposing AUKUS (PACOA) told the Adelaide hearing that the submarines being built in their community are intended to patrol the South China Sea rather than defend the Australian coastline, warning of the risks this poses to their community's future.

“They're building nuclear submarines here in our community, not to defend our coastline, but to patrol the South China Sea thousands of kilometres away, so the US can prepare a war with its greatest economic rival… Our lives, the lives of our children and their futures, and the devastation of our urban and natural environments for generations to come are what's at stake.”

Featured Witness

MOSSA - Mothers for a Sustainable South Australia
▶

MOSSA: “It's Legally Our Waste Forever”

Tracey Kermond, Maureen Graney, Michelle Parsons & Mary Houlahan, Mothers for a Sustainable South Australia

Mothers for a Sustainable South Australia (MOSSA) told the Adelaide hearing that once nuclear waste from the submarine program is generated on Australian soil, the legal and practical burden of managing it falls permanently on Australia, regardless of where the submarines themselves are built or serviced.

“It's legally our waste forever.”

Featured Witness

Kym Davey
▶

Kym Davey: “It's One Thing to Build Up Our Defences. It's Another to Be Part of an Aggressive Posture”

Former ALP State Executive Member; Member of Labor Against War

Kym Davey told the Adelaide hearing that there is an important distinction between defensive capability and offensive posturing, arguing AUKUS pushes Australia toward the latter.

“It's one thing to build up our defences. It's another to be part of an aggressive posture.”

Fremantle / Walyalup — Full Hearing Livestream

Fremantle full hearing
▶

Fremantle Public Hearing — 29 June 2026

University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle WA

The second public hearing of the AUKUS Public Inquiry was held in Fremantle/Walyalup, WA, with witnesses including former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Dr Colin Hughes, former WA Director of Public Health.

View on YouTube →

Featured Witness

Linda Reynolds
▶

Linda Reynolds: “AUKUS is necessary but it has not yet hit its stride”

Former Minister for Defence of Australia

The Hon. Linda Reynolds addressed the Fremantle hearing on AUKUS’s strategic rationale, delivery timeline and pace, acknowledging the significance of the Inquiry itself while offering a qualified assessment of the partnership — necessary, in her view, but not yet delivering, and not a complete answer on its own.

“I acknowledge the significance of this hearing being held. It represents exactly what democracies, including our own, fight to preserve…My view is that AUKUS is necessary, but it is not yet hitting its stride…AUKUS is the right partnership, but not the whole answer.”

Featured Witness

Jonathan Huston MLA
▶

Jonathan Huston MLA: “HMAS Stirling pens will become a perfect open-air target”

Independent Member of Parliament, Nedlands

Independent MLA Jonathan Huston warned the Fremantle hearing that the submarine pens at HMAS Stirling would become an exposed, high-value target, arguing Australia is building an expensive and provocative liability rather than a genuine deterrent.

“The HMAS Stirling pens will become a perfect open-air target for precision-guided munitions…We are building the most expensive, second-hand, provocative, open-air target in Australian history.”

Featured Witness

Mick Macfarlane
▶

Mick Macfarlane: There are submarines and there are targets

Former Royal Australian Navy personnel and Sonar operator

Mick Macfarlane drew on his Royal Navy service and emergency management background to question the value-for-money of AUKUS at the Fremantle hearing, citing well-documented maintenance and readiness issues across the US and UK submarine fleets.

“Why does Australia want SSNs? This is a logical question that needs to be answered in plain language before informed decisions can be made.”

Featured Witness

Leo Kerr
▶

Leo Kerr: Citizen submission calls the $368 Billion deal a strategic blunder

Concerned Citizen

Leo Kerr spoke as a concerned citizen at the Fremantle hearing, arguing that AUKUS Pillar I imposes crippling financial costs, an unresolved nuclear waste legacy, and a severe erosion of sovereignty — and that Australia should pursue a more independent, proportionate defence posture instead.

“The AUKUS submarine deal represents a catastrophic misjudgment — imposing an unprecedented financial burden and creating a permanent, unresolved nuclear waste liability.”

Featured Witness

Dr Mike Gilligan
▶

Dr Mike Gilligan: 20-Year Defence Analyst on how self-reliance died and AUKUS was born

Former Head of Force Development and Analysis Division, Department of Defence; Board Member, Pearls and Irritations

Dr Mike Gilligan, who advised Defence on submarine options after the retirement of the Oberon class, told the Fremantle hearing that no Minister for Defence has ever explained what the Virginia class submarine is actually meant to do — arguing it is purpose-built to serve US strategic interests rather than Australia's.

“Despite its crippling cost, no Minister for Defence has ever explained what the Virginia class submarine is meant to do. Why has such an obvious ministerial obligation been evaded?”

Featured Witness

Dr Colin Hughes
▶

Dr Colin Hughes: Former head of Public Health paints a nuclear accident scenario for Rockingham

Former Head of Public Health, Perth Metro; Member, Medical Association for Prevention of War Australia

Dr Colin Hughes addressed the Fremantle hearing on the public health and emergency response implications of a nuclear incident at HMAS Stirling, drawing on the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters to illustrate the scale of harm even a low-level accident could cause to surrounding communities.

“Protective suits generally do not stop penetrating gamma radiation. Their main purpose is preventing radioactive material from contacting the body or being inhaled.”

Featured Witness

Mark Beeson
▶

Mark Beeson: “It would be madness for China to even contemplate such a thing”

Adjunct Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney

Mark Beeson questioned the strategic logic underpinning AUKUS at the Fremantle hearing, arguing that Australia's economic interdependence with China cuts against the case for confrontation, and that genuine middle-power diplomacy offers a more secure path forward.

“We could fix free education for higher education, we could fix the social housing problem, we could fix remote community problems with their housing, and, of course, make the green transition.”

Featured Witness

Jasmin Diab
▶

Jasmin Diab: “The True Measure of AUKUS Won’t Be the Submarines Themselves”

Partner and Managing Director Australia, Global Nuclear Security Partners

Jasmin Diab presented a nuclear security industry perspective at the Fremantle hearing, arguing AUKUS offers a genuine opportunity to lift Australia's nuclear governance and safety standards — but warning that public communication has not kept pace with the program's development.

“The true measure of AUKUS will not be the submarines themselves, but whether Australia emerges as a trusted nuclear steward that contributes to a safer, more secure and more stable Indo-Pacific region.”

Featured Witness

Ivy Lee Patrick
▶

Ivy Lee Patrick: “I was not only grieving AUKUS itself”

Concerned Citizen

Ivy Lee Patrick spoke as a concerned citizen at the Fremantle hearing, reflecting on the moment AUKUS was announced and arguing that genuine security includes emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual wellbeing, not just physical defence.

“Peace belongs within any discussion of defence, because the deepest security any nation can offer its people is not only physical — it is emotional, it is psychological, it is social, it is spiritual. It's our very being.”

Featured Witness

Leonie Lundy & Sam Wainwright
▶

Stop AUKUS WA says AUKUS “debases our democracy” and “threatens our sovereignty”

Leonie Lundy & Sam Wainwright, Stop AUKUS WA

Leonie Lundy and Sam Wainwright of Stop AUKUS WA told the Fremantle hearing that AUKUS poses serious risks to the health, safety, environment and social cohesion of Cockburn Sound communities, arguing the project lacks both social licence and a credible cost-benefit case.

“AUKUS poses a public health and safety, environmental, security and social cohesion risk to the Cockburn Sound communities. It lacks social licence and a cost benefit analysis.”

Featured Witness

Mia Pepper
▶

Mia Pepper: AUKUS “really spells disaster for some of the ecosystems”

Conservation Council of Western Australia

Mia Pepper of the Conservation Council of Western Australia told the Fremantle hearing there is very little confidence that the radioactive elements of AUKUS are being properly assessed, warning that Australia's environmental laws do not guarantee nuclear components will be scrutinised at any stage.

“We have very little confidence about how seriously the public will be engaged and how seriously the radioactive elements of this project are being assessed in environmental terms… As far as we can tell, there is nothing in the EPBC Act that ensures that the nuclear components of this project will be assessed at any point in the process.”

Featured Witness

Sophie McNeill
▶

Sophie McNeill: Pensioners in tents while $100 million goes to housing US troops

The Greens (WA) MLC, WA Parliament — Fremantle / Walyalup Hearing, 29 June 2026

Sophie McNeill gave evidence at the Fremantle hearing, drawing a stark contrast between the cost of housing US and UK troops under AUKUS and the housing crisis devastating communities around HMAS Stirling.

“Right now, West Australia is in the middle of the worst housing crisis that we have ever seen. In the last five years the average rent in WA has gone up by more than 60 per cent. The average house price in Perth has doubled. It’s now more than a million dollars for a house in Perth. And Federal Labor has already committed more than $100 million of our money to housing US and UK troops under AUKUS in Perth. Meanwhile, on Memorial Drive and Safety Bay in Rockingham, dozens of pensioners sleep in tents on the side of the road, unable to afford a home.”

Featured Witness

Emeritus Professor Dennis Rumley
▶

Dennis Rumley: “We, the Australian people, have not agreed to this”

Emeritus Professor; Political Geographer

Emeritus Professor Dennis Rumley told the Fremantle hearing that AUKUS was imposed on Australia by the United States and United Kingdom rather than agreed to by the Australian people, arguing the arrangement functions as a regional attack policy that makes Australia less, not more, secure.

“AUKUS is an Anglospheric-imposed arrangement… imposed by two broken Anglo-Great Powers. Because it is a regional attack policy and because it is imposed, AUKUS makes Australia less secure.”

Featured Witness

KA Garlick
▶

KA Garlick: “AUKUS asks Western Australians to accept radioactive waste without a permanent solution”

Nuclear Free WA

KA Garlick of Nuclear Free WA told the Fremantle hearing that the risks and burdens of the nuclear industry fall unevenly across the community, and that AUKUS asks Western Australians to accept radioactive waste without a permanent management solution in place.

“The impacts of the nuclear industry are not shared equally. They fall disproportionately on First Nations people, lower income communities, workers, women, and children.”

Melbourne / Naarm — Full Hearing Livestream

Melbourne Narrm Hearing Livestream
▶

Melbourne / Naarm — June 11, 2026

The first public hearing of the AUKUS Public Inquiry was held at the Victorian Trades Hall in Melbourne. Commissioners heard from a range of expert witnesses, academics, former defence officials, and members of the public on the strategic, financial, environmental, and sovereignty implications of the AUKUS deal.

Watch the full hearing above or view on YouTube →

Featured Witness

Gareth Evans on AUKUS
▶

Gareth Evans: AUKUS was “misconceived from the outset”

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Hawke and Keating Governments (1988–96); former President & CEO, International Crisis Group

Former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans argued that the AUKUS submarine deal was fundamentally misconceived from its inception, questioning whether the agreement serves Australia's national interest and warning of the strategic and financial risks of locking Australia into US military ambitions.

“The cost is mind-boggling, the delivery timeline is fanciful, and the strategic rationale has never been honestly debated.”

Featured Witness

Associate Professor Tilman Ruff AO
▶

Tilman Ruff: Australia would be “the first non-nuclear state to acquire nuclear-powered submarines”

Co-founder, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Tilman Ruff AO presented on the nuclear non-proliferation implications of AUKUS, warning that Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines under this plan sets a deeply dangerous precedent for global disarmament efforts.

“Currently, only 6 nuclear-armed states have nuclear-powered submarines. This is closely guarded, highly sophisticated technology. Australia will be the first state without nuclear weapons to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under this plan.”

Featured Witness

Richard Tanter
▶

Richard Tanter: Australia’s nuclear permissiveness is “something we should not be tolerating”

Senior Research Associate, Nautilus Institute; Honorary Professor, University of Melbourne

Richard Tanter addressed the inquiry's first public hearing in Naarm/Melbourne, arguing that Australia has subordinated its strategic policy to American alliance politics with no serious public accountability for the consequences.

“To talk about nuclear deterrence is utterly misleading. For all governments of major nuclear weapons powers, their first consideration is not so much deterrence, but what happens when deterrence fails — and that is called nuclear war fighting.”

Featured Witness

John Leslie Lander
▶

John Leslie Lander: Australia is paying $35 Million a day for a fictional threat

Former Deputy Ambassador to China and Head of the China Section, DFAT

John Leslie Lander presented a detailed constitutional and strategic critique of AUKUS at the Melbourne hearing, arguing that the agreement lacks lawful domestic authority and that the strategic rationale for treating China as a threat is fundamentally flawed.

“The constitutional challenge to AUKUS is not anti-American. It is pro-Australian. It is a demand that decisions of this magnitude be made by the Parliament of Australia, in public, with accountability to the people who would bear the consequences.”

Featured Witness

Professor Emeritus Joseph Camilleri OAM
▶

Joseph Camilleri: “One of the saddest decisions ever made by an Australian Government”

Professor Emeritus, La Trobe University

Professor Emeritus Joseph Camilleri OAM addressed the Melbourne hearing on the democratic and consultative failures behind AUKUS, including the absence of consultation with First Nations communities whose land and seas the agreement will directly affect.

“The democratic deficit becomes even more troubling given the failure to consult the First Nations, despite the fact that AUKUS implementation — including submarine operations, infrastructure, training, industrial production, weapons support, maritime transit — will affect a large part of Australia's land and seas.”

Featured Witness

Rod Campbell
▶

Rod Campbell: “There’s just no case to be had here”

Research Director, Australian Institute

Rod Campbell challenged claims that AUKUS delivers economic and employment benefits for Australia, arguing that on a jobs-per-dollar basis the submarine program compares poorly to investment in health, education, and regional development.

“If you’re interested in creating jobs, you fund health care, you fund education, you fund regional development. In terms of jobs per dollar, there’s just no case to be had here. There are so many better options.”

Featured Witness

Dave Sweeney
▶

Dave Sweeney: “We don’t ask, they don’t tell”

Anti-Nuclear Campaigner, Australian Conservation Foundation

Dave Sweeney highlighted the lack of public consultation behind the AUKUS announcement, noting that the political leaders who struck the deal have all since left office while the commitment itself endures.

“AUKUS was developed in secret and announced to the world one morning by three leaders who have all since lost power. Morrison, Johnson, Biden are all long gone. AUKUS is still with us.”

Featured Witness

Barbara Jackson
▶

Barbara Jackson: AUKUS has “quietly traded away” Australia’s democracy and sovereignty

Concerned Citizen

Barbara Jackson spoke as a concerned citizen at the AUKUS Public Inquiry's first public hearing in Naarm/Melbourne, delivering a powerful submission on what AUKUS means for Australian sovereignty and democratic accountability.

“This is not a defence policy. This is an entanglement. And it has been made without the consent of the Australian people.”

Featured Witness

Jack Howard
▶

Jack Howard: “It's Never Too Late to Step Away From a Dangerous Path”

Labor Against War

Jack Howard, speaking for Labor Against War, urged the Inquiry to reconsider AUKUS on the grounds of peaceful conflict resolution, nuclear non-proliferation, and regional cooperation and diplomacy.

“It's never too late to step away from a dangerous path and to pursue a better and safer course of action. There are fundamental principles at stake — our commitment to peaceful conflict resolution, to nuclear non-proliferation, and to regional cooperation and diplomacy.”

Wollongong — Full Hearing Recording

Wollongong Hearing Recording
▶

Wollongong — 12 August 2026

The AUKUS Public Inquiry's hearing in Wollongong brought together union, community, and First Nations voices on the impact of AUKUS on the Illawarra region.

View on YouTube →

Latest

News & Updates

12 August 2026
The Anti-AUKUS Campaign Needs to Turn Into an Effective Political Movement

Crikey's Wanning Sun argues there is no shortage of compelling arguments against AUKUS, but that they haven't yet coalesced into a "narrative" reaching beyond the people already inclined to oppose the submarine pact.

Read Article →
11 August 2026
‘Bleak Future’: AUKUS Inquiry to Hear Fear of Exclusion Zones at Port Kembla Beaches

The Illawarra Mercury's Ben Langford reports that a Port Kembla mother and anti-nuclear activist fears for the future of her hometown and her children if the suburb becomes the site of a US-Australian nuclear submarine base.

Read Article →
10 August 2026
Independent AUKUS Public Inquiry Hearing Coming to Wollongong

Region Illawarra's Andrew McLaughlin reports that hearings into Australia's participation in AUKUS are set to resume in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong after a series of hearings held in southern and western states.

Read Article →
10 August 2026
Ex-Prime Minister Warns AUKUS Deal May Not Deliver

SBS News reports that Malcolm Turnbull told the crowd-funded public inquiry, led by Peter Garrett and a former ADF chief, that of the three AUKUS partner nations Australia's parliament has the most at stake but is the "least curious and the least informed."

Watch Now →
10 August 2026
Malcolm Turnbull Says Faith in AUKUS Nuclear Submarines Deal Is “Stark Staring Bonkers”

The Guardian's video coverage of the AUKUS Public Inquiry captures former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's testimony questioning the basis for confidence in the submarine deal.

Watch Now →
10 August 2026
‘Highly Unlikely’: Turnbull Says Australia Might Not Get Any AUKUS Subs

Crikey's Anton Nilsson reports that former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the independent inquiry into AUKUS that the pact could end up being a historic defence planning failure.

Read Article →
10 August 2026
Former PM Questions US Deal to Deliver AUKUS Submarines

The Canberra Times' Tess Ikonomou reports that Australia faces the real risk of not receiving its promised nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS, as former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the inquiry it is unlikely Virginia-class submarines will be delivered while the US Navy continues to fall behind on its own production.

Read Article →
7 August 2026
Richard Marles Says America, Not Australia, Will Decide How Long AUKUS Subs Remain at HMAS Stirling

The Nightly's Andrew Greene reports that Defence Minister Richard Marles says the United States, not Australia, will determine how long its nuclear-powered submarines remain at HMAS Stirling, based on American operational requirements.

Read Article →
6 August 2026
Peter Garrett on What the Public Thinks of AUKUS

Brought to you by ABC Radio National, presented by David Marr on Late Night Live, Lead Commissioner Peter Garrett discusses the AUKUS Public Inquiry, which has now received over 600 submissions including from former ministers Gareth Evans, Linda Reynolds and Christopher Pyne, as the Inquiry heads to Sydney hearings featuring former PM Malcolm Turnbull and former Foreign Minister Bob Carr.

Listen Here →
3 August 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 6: It Is Not Too Late to Change Course

In the final instalment of a six-part series for Pearls and Irritations, Peter Briggs argues AUKUS Pillar One cannot deliver on schedule or budget, and that Australia should pause its HEU pathway and assess proven LEU alternatives.

Read Article →
2 August 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 5: The HEU Problem

Peter Briggs examines Australia's choice of highly enriched uranium for AUKUS submarines, raising questions of proliferation, safety, waste, regulation, and the civil burden placed on Australian shipyards.

Read Article →
1 August 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 4: Australia's Dual-Site Labour Trap

Peter Briggs turns to workforce, arguing Australia must build and sustain two geographically separated nuclear submarine hubs despite acute skills shortages, certification bottlenecks, and competition from the resources sector.

Read Article →
31 July 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 3: The Osborne Construction Enterprise

Peter Briggs finds that while Osborne's submarine yard is making visible progress, unfunded stages, nuclear licensing, supply-chain dependence and the absence of an embedded graving dock pose major risks.

Read Article →
30 July 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 2: The Henderson Bottleneck

Peter Briggs turns to Henderson, where fragmented land tenure, commercial disruption and regulatory delays could block the facilities Australia needs to sustain nuclear-powered submarines.

Read Article →
30 July 2026
Labor's Controlled Conference Avoided the Questions That Matter

Margaret Reynolds argues the ALP's 50th National Conference in Adelaide should have tested the government's reform record and commitment to international law, but factional control turned it into a managed exercise in avoidance.

Read Article →
29 July 2026
AUKUS Infrastructure, Part 1: The Docking Gap That Could Sink Pillar 1

The first in a six-part series for Pearls and Irritations, Peter Briggs examines the maintenance reality behind AUKUS Pillar One, and the looming risk that Australia may receive Virginia-class submarines before it has certified infrastructure to dock and sustain them.

Read Article →
23 July 2026
Labor Has a Proud History of Debate. So Why Won’t It Interrogate the $368bn Aukus Pact?

Peter Garrett: Despite substantial reservations about the submarine deal, it’s unlikely to be seriously examined at the ALP national conference.

Read Article →
21 July 2026
AUKUS Is Being Exposed, But Will Anything Change?

Writing for Pearls and Irritations, Justice and Peace Facilitator Julie Macken reflects on weeks of Inquiry testimony — from Linda Reynolds’ admission that Fremantle would become a bigger nuclear target, to warnings of an unplanned nuclear accident response — and asks whether the evidence will actually shift government policy.

Read Article →
20 July 2026
Peter Garrett Talks Music, Protest and the People’s Inquiry into AUKUS

In a ChangeMaker Chat episode, Lead Commissioner Peter Garrett discusses his decades of activism and explains how the AUKUS Public Inquiry is creating space for the public debate that Parliament has not had on the $368 billion submarine deal.

Read Article →
18 July 2026
Christopher Pyne Declares AUKUS ‘Unstoppable’, Says Parliament Shouldn’t Vote on It

Former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne told the Adelaide hearing that decisions on AUKUS should sit with the National Security Committee of Cabinet, not Parliament, while conceding the program is unlikely to be delivered on time or on budget.

Read Article →
18 July 2026
‘Height of Unfairness’: Former SA Senator Slams Government Over AUKUS Nuclear Waste Move

Rex Patrick tells news.com.au the Federal Government is fighting to keep secret its own advice on where AUKUS nuclear waste will be stored, and says he is considering Federal Court action after three Freedom of Information requests were refused.

Read Article →
16 July 2026
AUKUS Will Not Run on Time or On Budget: Christopher Pyne Says

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne’s evidence to the Adelaide hearing, in which he acknowledged AUKUS is unlikely to be delivered on schedule or within budget, but argued national security remains the more important priority.

Read Article →
30 June 2026
Former WA Health Chief Warns AUKUS Inquiry of ‘Nuclear Disaster Waiting to Happen’

The Point reports on Dr Colin Hughes’ testimony at the Fremantle hearing, warning that there is no nuclear safety plan for communities around HMAS Stirling in the event of a major accident.

Read Article →
29 June 2026
Linda Reynolds Defends AUKUS, Argues Australia Has No Credible Alternative

The Point covers former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ testimony at the Fremantle hearing, where she argued Australia has been in a ‘hybrid and grey zone war’ with China and that no credible Plan B to AUKUS has been proposed.

Read Article →
28 June 2026
‘Twisted Steel, Shattered Structures’: AUKUS Inquiry Warned of Nuclear Disaster Risk

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on expert testimony at the Fremantle hearing warning of the risks of a nuclear accident at HMAS Stirling, and the absence of adequate emergency planning for surrounding communities.

Read Article →
12 June 2026
Truth Submerged? AUKUS Will Cost Us $368 Billion, So This Is No Time for Secrecy

Op-ed by Commissioner Dr Carmen Lawrence AO in the Sydney Morning Herald, arguing that the massive cost and strategic implications of AUKUS demand full public transparency.

Read Article →
11 June 2026
AUKUS Among Australia's Worst Foreign Policy Decisions — Gareth Evans

The Guardian reports on Gareth Evans' testimony at the Melbourne hearing, where he argued AUKUS Pillar One is "more likely than not" to prove one of Australia's worst defence and foreign policy decisions.

Read Article →
11 June 2026
AUKUS Deal Slammed as "One of Worst Policy Decisions"

The Canberra Times reports on Gareth Evans' assessment of the AUKUS deal at the first public hearing, calling for a government fallback plan in case the submarine fleet is not delivered.

Read Article →
11 June 2026
China Daily Asia: AUKUS Public Inquiry Opens in Melbourne

China Daily Asia covers the opening of the AUKUS Public Inquiry in Melbourne, reporting on the testimony of expert witnesses and the growing public debate over the submarine deal.

Read Article →
11 June 2026
Public Inquiry into AUKUS Is a Landmark Moment in Australia's Politics

UTS News argues that the independent public inquiry into AUKUS represents a landmark moment in Australian democratic accountability, bringing transparency to one of the most consequential defence decisions in the nation's history.

Read Article →
11 June 2026
The Folly That Is AUKUS

Richard David Hames on Substack examines the strategic, financial, and sovereignty failures at the heart of the AUKUS agreement, arguing the deal reflects a deeper failure of Australian independent thinking.

Read Article →
5 June 2026
Media Release: Australia wants a Public Inquiry into AUKUS!

Over $85,000 raised and 100+ written submissions received in the first 72 hours. Public hearings confirmed for Melbourne, Fremantle, Adelaide, Sydney, Port Kembla and Canberra.

View ↗
5 June 2026
Would You Buy a Used Submarine from Pete Hegseth?

The Sydney Morning Herald examines the implications of Australia's reliance on the US for nuclear-powered submarines amid shifting American defence priorities.

Read Article →
5 June 2026
Triple J Hack: Public Inquiry into AUKUS

ABC Triple J Hack covers the launch of the public inquiry into AUKUS, examining what the deal means for young Australians and why the inquiry matters.

Read Article →
3 June 2026
Peter Garrett to Lead Long Overdue Public Inquiry into AUKUS

The Point reports on the launch of the independent public inquiry, with Peter Garrett named as Lead Commissioner alongside four other eminent Australians.

Read Article →
3 June 2026
BBC: Australian Ex-Minister Launches Crowd-Funded Inquiry into AUKUS Submarine Deal

The BBC covers the launch of the AUKUS Public Inquiry, reporting on Peter Garrett's appointment as Lead Commissioner and the inquiry's crowdfunding campaign.

Read Article →
3 June 2026
$368 Billion AUKUS Deal Labelled 'Absurd' as Scrutiny Intensifies

The Point reports on growing scrutiny of the AUKUS deal following the inquiry's launch, with critics labelling the cost absurd amid latest changes to the agreement.

Read Article →
3 June 2026
IPAN: AUKUS Public Inquiry Launches as Submarine Deal Appears to Be Unravelling

IPAN's media release covers the launch of the public inquiry as new questions emerge about whether the AUKUS submarine deal can be delivered as promised.

Read Article →
2 June 2026
ABC: Peter Garrett Leading Crowd-Funded Inquiry into AUKUS

ABC News reports on the launch of the crowd-funded public inquiry into the AUKUS submarine deal, with Peter Garrett at the helm.

Read Article →
2 June 2026
ABC RN Breakfast: Peter Garrett to Lead Public-Funded Inquiry into AUKUS

ABC Radio National Breakfast interviews Peter Garrett on why Australians need an independent public inquiry into the AUKUS security partnership.

Read Article →
1 June 2026
Guardian Full Story Podcast: Peter Garrett on Why Australians Deserve the Truth About AUKUS

The Guardian's Full Story podcast features Peter Garrett ahead of the inquiry launch, discussing why Australians deserve full transparency on the AUKUS deal.

Read Article →
2 June 2026
The Case for Examining AUKUS

Leanne Minshull, Commissioner and Co-CEO of The Australia Institute, writes on why an independent public inquiry into AUKUS is necessary and timely.

Read Article →
2 June 2026
Peter Garrett to Head Independent Inquiry into the AUKUS Submarine Pact

The Guardian reports on the launch of the AUKUS Public Inquiry, with Peter Garrett announced as Lead Commissioner of the independent civil society inquiry.

Read Article →
May 2026
Australia's Naval Defence Without AUKUS Pillar One

Former Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Michael Keating argues the AUKUS nuclear submarines will not be delivered on time — and that delaying a Plan B risks Australia's future submarine capability entirely.

Read Article →
UPDATE  ·  April 9 2026
Commissioner Announcement Coming Soon

With thanks to your patience, we are very excited to announce that as early as next week we will be able to announce the names of distinguished Australians who have volunteered to become commissioners in the public Inquiry into AUKUS.

View ↗
March 20 2026
The Weakest Link: Australia's Submarine Hopes Depend on the UK

Australia's submarine ambitions rest heavily on British delivery — but Britannia no longer rules the waves, with retired admirals warning the UK program may not be able to deliver.

Read Article →
March 18 2026
AUKUS: So Many Questions, So Few Answers

The Australian public deserve to understand the implications of the Morrison/Albanese secretive AUKUS agreement — Doug Cameron, Former ALP Senator.

Read Article →
March 10 2026
Crowdfunding Campaign Launches on Chuffed

The Inquiry has launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover hearings, expert witnesses, travel, and public reporting costs.

Donate Here →
18 July 2026
Media Release: Significant Insights from Adelaide Hearings into AUKUS

Lead Commissioner Peter Garrett responds to claims the Inquiry is a ‘show trial’, and the Adelaide hearing delivers testimony from Christopher Pyne, Rex Patrick and the Electrical Trades Union on cost, risk and delivery timelines.

Download Media Release →
March 10 2026
Media Release: Launch of Public Inquiry into AUKUS

"Secretive Parliamentary committees stacked with proponents of AUKUS does not serve the public interest. Help fund a genuine public open Inquiry."

Download Media Release →

Hear from the Commissioners

The Hon Peter Garrett AM FTSE — Lead Commissioner

Peter Garrett
▶

Karina Lester — Yankunytjatjara Woman, ICAN Australia Ambassador

Karina Lester
▶

Honorary Professor, Admiral Chris Barrie AC RAN (Ret'd)

Admiral Chris Barrie
▶

The Hon. Dr Carmen Lawrence AO

Dr Carmen Lawrence
▶

Leanne Minshull — Co-CEO, The Australia Institute

Leanne Minshull
▶

Community Voices

Major General Michael G Smith AO (Ret'd)

Major General Michael G Smith
▶

Dr Matilda Byrne, Co-President of APSF

Dr Matilda Byrne
▶

Doug Cameron, Former ALP Senator

Doug Cameron
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Patricia Garcia, Member of APSF and Board Member of the Sydney Peace Foundation

Patricia Garcia
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Dr John Fowler, Member of APSF

Dr John Fowler
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Formal Documentation

Terms of Reference

The Inquiry's full Terms of Reference — including objectives, scope, methodology, timeframe and governance — are now publicly available.

Will AUKUS keep us safe… at what cost?

The Inquiry will commence early June 2026 and produce a final report by 30 October 2026. It will be directed by five eminent Australians as Commissioners, convened under the auspices of the Australian Peace and Security Forum.

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Key Objectives
  • →To assess if the AUKUS nuclear-powered attack submarines will keep Australians more secure.
  • →To explore the implications of Australia acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for regional peace and security.
  • →To assess the economic, technological, and employment effects of AUKUS-related initiatives, and their overall impact on the ADF's preparedness and force structure.
  • →To assess environmental, health, and safety consequences of nuclear technology and waste management for the Australian community, especially for First Nations peoples.
  • →To generate broad public awareness of AUKUS and to understand possible cost-effective alternatives to AUKUS.
Those Supporting the Inquiry

Those supporting this Inquiry

Supporting organisations: APSF, IPAN, Maritime Union of Australia, ETU, AEU, ICAN Australia, Sydney Peace Foundation, Medical Association for Prevention of War, Australians for War Powers Reform, Australian Conservation Foundation, World BEYOND War, Australian Services Union, South Coast Labour Council, Pax Christi Australia, Quakers Australia, Pace e Bene Australia, Josephite Justice Network, Search Foundation, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Peace and Justice Centre
Support the Inquiry

Help fund a genuine Public Inquiry

We need funding for travel for commissioners and expert witnesses, event spaces for public hearings, accommodation and logistics, and documentation and public reporting. Every contribution helps bring accountability to the largest defence decision in Australia's history.

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