A Labor MP has broken ranks to call for a rethink of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal as a former party minister launches a "people's inquiry" into the agreement.
After asking whether Labor's original commitment to the deal still stood during a private caucus meeting in Canberra on Tuesday, Labor backbencher Ed Husic went public with his reservations about the military pact after it was announced Australia would only get second-hand submarines from the US.
"You do wonder whether or not we will get the deal, even the reconfigured one that we have got," Mr Husic told reporters at Parliament House.
Originally, Australia was set to get a mix of new and used Virginia-Class vessels before eventually building its own in Adelaide, but now the defence force will only get used submarines.
