Australia's $368 billion nuclear-powered submarine deal will likely prove one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions the nation has made, a former Labor minister says.
Gareth Evans, who served in the Hawke and Keating governments, told an independent public inquiry into the AUKUS agreement the Albanese government should develop a back-up plan in case it fails.
"My regretful conclusion is that Australia's no holds barred bipartisan embrace of AUKUS Pillar One is more likely than not to prove one of the worst defence and foreign policy decisions our country has made," he told the inquiry on Thursday.
"Not only putting at risk sovereign independence, but generating more risk than reward for the very national security it promises to protect."
