Dr Albert Palazzo*
Luke Gosling’s recent Lowy Institute Analysis, “Deterring at a distance: The strategic logic of AUKUS”, marks the first time a member of the Australian parliament has made the effort to explain the purpose of AUKUS and the reasoning behind the government’s decision to obtain nuclear-powered submarines at such an enormous cost.
This was a task that should have been undertaken by former prime minister Scott Morrision following the AUKUS announcement in 2021 or by the nation’s current leader, Anthony Albanese, at the agreement’s many reaffirmations. Gosling, by writing this paper has provided a national service, even if the sales pitch falls short. (The Lowy Institute. The Interpreter.)
