An independent, crowdfunded public inquiry into AUKUS has recommended that Australia immediately scrap Pillar 1 of the submarine deal and hold a royal commission into how the pact was conceived, calling it a gross waste of up to half a trillion dollars.
The inquiry’s report, titled “Surrendering Australia: The AUKUS Deception”, was released publicly on Wednesday afternoon, November 4, Australian time. Its lead commissioner is former Labor minister Peter Garrett, the former Midnight Oil frontman, and the inquiry was coordinated by the Australian Peace and Security Forum.
This is not a government inquiry, and its recommendations are not binding on the Australian government. No government response to the report had been reported at the time of publication. That distinction is essential: the inquiry’s findings are its own conclusions, not the position of Canberra, London or Washington.
What the inquiry recommended
According to the inquiry’s media release, the report contains 17 recommendations. The headline calls are to terminate AUKUS Pillar 1 immediately, implement a cheaper alternative plan to maintain a capable submarine service, and hold a royal commission into what the inquiry calls the AUKUS deception.
Other recommendations include urgently developing a comprehensive National Security Strategy, suspending plans for a US naval base near Perth, ceasing the secondment of Royal Australian Navy submariners on US submarines, and commissioning an urgent Australian National Audit Office audit of the AUKUS program, with the results made public.
Garrett said AUKUS represented “an absurd cost for submarines of highly contested utility that may well never arrive”, adding: “After carefully considering all the material presented to us, we conclude that AUKUS is the worst, most costly and riskiest defence decision ever made.”
The cost argument
The inquiry puts the estimated cost of AUKUS to Australia at more than A$368 billion over coming decades, and says the total reaches up to half a trillion dollars once nuclear waste management costs are included. Its own website says A$10 billion has already been spent on US and British shipyards.
The inquiry argues the partnership “will not succeed in any of its stated aims” and compromises Australia’s national security and sovereignty, including by committing Australia to future conflict in support of US war plans. Those are the inquiry’s characterisations, and supporters of AUKUS dispute them, arguing the pact is central to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
What AUKUS Pillar 1 actually is
AUKUS is the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, announced in 2021. Pillar 1 is the nuclear-powered submarine program; Pillar 2 covers cooperation on advanced technologies such as cyber security and other weapons systems. The inquiry’s recommendation concerns Pillar 1 only.
Under current plans, Australia is to acquire three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the United States, with the first boats expected in the 2030s, followed by new SSN-AUKUS boats built in Adelaide and Barrow-in-Furness from the 2040s. The US and UK are also rotating submarines through HMAS Stirling near Perth, with the American boat USS Colorado named in October as the first to join the rotational force.
Critics cited by the inquiry question whether the Virginia-class boats will arrive on time at all, pointing to US production of about 1.2 submarines a year against the higher rate needed to meet both American and Australian demand.
How the inquiry worked
The inquiry launched in June 2026 and held 10 day-long hearings in eight cities across Australia. According to its media release, it received more than 1,000 written submissions, nearly 10,000 people watched proceedings in person or by live-stream, and A$220,000 was raised by crowdfunding from individual donors, unions and civil society organisations.
Witnesses included a former prime minister, five former foreign affairs and defence ministers, senior academics, recognised military experts, unions and community groups, the inquiry said.
What happens next
The key questions now are whether the Albanese government responds to the call to terminate Pillar 1, whether it takes up the recommendation for a royal commission, and whether it commissions the independent audit of costs the inquiry wants. The government has previously defended AUKUS as essential to Australia’s security, and there was no indication at publication time that it intended to change course.
The report is available in full from the inquiry’s website, aukuspublicinquiry.com.au.
Frequently asked questions
What is AUKUS Pillar 1?
The nuclear-powered submarine program within the Australia-UK-US security partnership. Pillar 2 covers advanced technology cooperation and is not the subject of this recommendation.
Who ran this inquiry?
An independent, crowdfunded civil-society inquiry coordinated by the Australian Peace and Security Forum and led by former minister Peter Garrett. It is not a government inquiry and its recommendations are not binding.
What did it recommend?
Immediately scrapping Pillar 1, a cheaper alternative submarine plan, a royal commission into the deal, a national security strategy, suspension of the Perth-area US naval base plans, an end to RAN submariner secondments on US boats, and a public audit office review of costs.
How much does the inquiry say AUKUS costs?
More than A$368 billion, rising to up to half a trillion dollars including nuclear waste management costs, according to the inquiry.
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Sources
- AUKUS Public Inquiry media release via Medianet News Hub, “AUKUS Pillar 1 should be immediately scrapped”, November 4, 2026: https://newshub.medianet.com.au/2026/11/aukus-pillar-1-should-be-immediately-scrapped-australia-deserves-a-royal-commission-into-the-aukus-deception/180129/
- AUKUS Public Inquiry official site, Commissioners’ Report: https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
- The Age coverage via My Press Today, “Too risky, too costly: AUKUS should be scrapped, finds Peter Garrett-led inquiry”, November 4, 2026: http://mypresstoday.com/au/en/post/7789/357787329/too-risky-too-costly-aukus-should-be-scrapped-finds-peter-garrett-led-inquiry.html
