Ex-Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating condemned the center-left Labor government’s deal with the US and UK to obtain nuclear submarines, saying the nation’s military sovereignty was being surrendered to the “whim and caprice” of Washington.
A former Labor party leader, Keating served as prime minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he sought to loosen Australia’s bonds with the UK — by calling for a republic — and deepen ties with Asia. The Aukus deal announced in San Diego Monday is the “worst international decision” by a Labor government since efforts to introduce conscription during World War I, he said.
