Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Albanese government would work “really closely” on the spending of a near $5 billion pledged to the United Kingdom under the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, ahead of meeting with his UK counterpart in Sydney today.
Marles said the funding, designed to support the expansion of British production for the nuclear reactors eventually installed on AUKUS submarines in Adelaide, would be closely monitored to ensure it underpins strong outcomes for Australian national security and defence interests.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on July 24, 2025.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
“We will work really closely with the United Kingdom on the way in which that’s spent,” Marles told ABC’s 730 program last night. “But to give you a sense, I’ve visited that factory, I’ve seen the plans on how that expansion is going to occur.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will also meet her UK counterpart today, which will mark the second ministerial consultations staged since the election of the Labour Party in last year’s general election.
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