Why AUKUS is the stupidest policy that Australia has ever enacted, and what we can do

Dr Albert Palazzo from UNSW-Canberra explains why the AUKUS deal that Australia has with the US is not in Australia's interests. In other words,'the US was smart to do it and we were dumb to do it'.AUKUS allows US military bases on our soil to contain China and underpin US dominance. This makes Australia a military target and puts us in danger. Meanwhile Australia loses its autonomy and sovreignty, with the country's enmeshment and subservience to US military strategy and operations. In addition, AUKUS is likely to bring nuclear devices to our shores, in violation of the Treaty of Rarotonga which we have signed.We receive nothing of consequence in return, except non-binding promises of submarines that would not be effective anyway in defending against military attacks that AUKUS has attracted.Albert Palazzo says we need to change our culture of looking to the US to defend us. The technology we need already exists, and we also need to invest more in diplomacy and peace.Take actionMake a submission to the AUKUS Public Inquiry:https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/#make-a-submission Read moreAlbert Palazzo 2025, The big fix: Rebuilding Australia's national security, Melbourne University Press Albert Palazzo 2026, 'How AUKUS could destroy Australia', The Saturday Paper, No.615, 29 August 2026.