Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, , 4:08:20 to 4:09:29
The government reiterates its policy against stationing nuclear weapons in Australia and addresses assertions regarding US submarine capabilities.
Topics: ADF, National security, International law
Speakers: David Shoebridge, Hon Murray Watt
>> I'd like to take that on notice. Um what I would say, Senator, is that we've been very clear um that we won't be allowing nuclear weapons to be stationed in Australia.
>> Yeah. But you see, Minister, what you also said to the people of Fremantle, the people of Perth when your government agreed at the cost of about $8 billion to build the US nuclear submarine base at HMAS Sterling. You also said to them, don't you worry because these Virginia class submarines won't be carrying nuclear weapons. you and you made it very clear in repeated statements to the public that the Virginia class submarines would not be carrying nuclear weapons. Now, since your government made those statements, the United States government has made it very clear that they intend to put nuclear weapons on their Virginia class submarines with nuclear armed sea launched cruise missiles. Are you going to go and speak honestly now to the people of Fremantle and Perth >> and and correct the situation?
>> Well, I've learned through bitter experience, Senator Shoebridge, to check assertions that you make. Um, and I will do that on this occasion as again as