French ambassador accuses Australia of ‘deceit’ over submarine deal

MELBOURNE, Australia — France connected Wednesday doubled down connected its choler with Australia for tearing up a $67 cardinal submarine deal, with Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault accusing the federation of intentional deceit.

In remarks to Australia’s National Press Club successful Canberra, Thébault said Australia’s determination to cancel the declaration for diesel-powered boats successful favour of a nuclear-submarine alliance with the United States and Britain was “treason successful the making” and a “stab successful the back.”

His scathing comments followed the leak of a substance connection from President Emmanuel Macron to Prime Minister Scott Morrison that appeared successful a Sydney paper connected Tuesday, successful which the French person asked, “Should I expect bully oregon atrocious quality for our associated submarines ambitions?”

The leak — intended to amusement that Paris knew the submarine declaration could beryllium canceled — came aft Macron accused Morrison of lying to him astir Australia’s plans.

Thébault said the leaked connection sent a worrying awesome to each heads of authorities that their backstage discussions would beryllium “weaponized” against them by Australia’s government.

“This is an unprecedented caller low,” helium said. “You don’t behave similar this connected idiosyncratic exchanges of leaders who were allies.”

France’s fury implicit the submarine woody and Australia’s determination to participate the AUKUS confederation with Washington and London underscores the agelong roadworthy Australia faces to rebuild the narration with an important European partner. But Thébault stressed the occupation laic not with Australia’s radical but with the Morrison government.

“France volition ever beryllium a adjacent and loyal person of Australia and the Australians,” helium said. “If determination is simply a occupation today, it is with definite aspects of the Canberra bubble and its ‘secret city’ practices.”

He described the Australian government’s effect to French choler arsenic “sad,” and drew a examination with President Biden’s handling of the diplomatic tensions implicit AUKUS by stressing the United States and France had “found again the way to acting together.”

Thébault said the leaked connection from Macron to Morrison, sent 2 days earlier the declaration was canceled successful September, demonstrated France was successful the acheronian astir Australia’s plans until the past moment.

“It wholly demonstrates that thing has ever been told to us,” helium said.