Regional alliances disturbed

The Morrison government’s decision to invest in nuclear submarines was kept secret, not just from France but also from Australians. It adds weight to the New York Times’ claim “Australia may well be the world’s most secretive democracy”. It is also a dumb decision, immediately alienating New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the European

Union. But most seriously it is a dangerous decision that in Hugh White’s words “drags us closer to the front line of a war”. In a pathetic justification, Scott Morrison claims the submarines will “make the region safer”. Instead of visionary, capable leaders, we have failed adman Morrison and hawkish ex cop Peter Dutton further deepening our dependence on the US and moving us closer to war. The only moral war the Morrison government should be fighting is the war against climate change.

– Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic