Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants “an honest relationship” with France.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants “an honest relationship” with France.Credit:Bianca De Marchi

Albanese said he intended to have “an honest relationship with France and one that is based upon integrity and mutual respect”,and finalising the deal would allow the two countries to reset the “absolutely vital” relationship.

“France is a key partner for Australia. We share those historical ties going back to the First World War and we share common interests in a stable Indo-Pacific region because France is,of course,an Indo-Pacific nation.

“I’m looking forward to taking up President Macron’s invitation to me to visit Paris at the earliest opportunity and we’ll make further announcements forthcoming about the dates in which that will occur.”

The shock news last Septemberthat Australia had signed up to the AUKUS pact with the US and UK to acquire eight nuclear-powered submarines infuriated Macron who famously declared“I don’t think,I know” that Scott Morrison had lied to him about keeping the French submarine deal.

On Saturday,new France Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu welcomed the prospect of improved relations following the ousting of Morrison’s government. He was due to meet with Australian counterpart Richard Marles on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit,which is taking place in Singapore this weekend.

“France prides itself on being reliable and keeping its words. The given word is very important to us. It has value,” the 36-year-old Lecornu said at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. “But history tells us young Australians came to die on French soil in World War I and we should not forget that.

“There are ups and downs in all relationships between countries but when there are real dramas,Australia was there. Let’s not forget history.

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“In Australia the previous majority was not re-elected and in France,Emmanuel Macron was re-elected. It gives us an interesting discussion. And I will have the opportunity to take some time with my new defence counterpart.[Marles] is new,I’m new,so this will give us an opportunity to join together.”

Albanese said the estimated total cost of the axed deal to purchase French submarines from Naval Group was $3.4 billion,which was a “fair and equitable settlement”.

“It brings the total cost of the former government’s failed policy to $3.4 billion. This is a saving from the $5.5 billion that Senate estimates was told would result from that program,” he said.

“But it still represents an extraordinary waste from a government that was always big on announcements,but not good on delivery,and from a government that will be remembered as the most wasteful government in Australia’s history since federation.

“This is an opportunity to draw a line under what has been,I don’t need to I think labour the point,that the tensions between Australia and France,I think,have been pretty obvious,and they go from the top.”

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John Blaxland,a professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the ANU,said the $830 million final bill suggested “a degree of accommodation on the French side” and that Australia should look to acquire submarines earlier.

“The election of Albanese provides the opportunity to reset and recalibrate. There is an appetite on the French side for it and it’s imperative for Australia. France is an Indo-Pacific power and we need to make the most of the enduring overlap of interests of France and Australia,” he said.

“There is now a more hard-nosed appreciation of Australia’s political calculus from the French.”

The nuclear submarines are not expected to be launched until the 2040s at the earliest,prompting analysts to warn of a looming capability gap in Australia’s submarine fleet as the Collins-class submarine approaches retirement.

Last week,Opposition Leader Peter Dutton revealed he had been in talks with the United States government over a plan to purchase two Virginia-class nuclear submarines by 2030,though naval experts have questioned whether such a deal would be possible given the already-existing production demands on the US assembly line.

Asked if Australia would look to acquire another submarine sooner,Albanese said “I won’t be making on-the-run comments when it comes to our security”.

Blaxland said the Americans did not have any spare capacity to fast-track an order for Virginia-class submarines.

“One option is we supplement the Americans,bolster their production line,though it might cost us several billion,to get them more capacity and then get them sooner. They[the US] don’t have the capacity to go any quicker at the moment.”

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“The other option is the Japanese and the Koreans are US treaty allies,operate to US standards and make world-class conventionally powered subs at a rate of knots and at a reasonable price. If nuclear subs by 2030 isn’t an option,and even if it is,we should consider them.”

Albanese said that Dutton’s claim about acquiring submarines earlier than planned contradicted statements he had made while defence minister.

“Well,he hinted[that Australia could acquire US Virginia-class submarines] but he didn’t say anything when he was defence minister. Peter Dutton needs to recognise that he has a responsibility to put the national interest first,not to always be engaged in short-term political interests,” the prime minister said.

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