Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has rejected the suggestions that the coalition was anywhere near agreeing to a compensation package with France after Australia abandoned its submarine contract last year.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Australia will pay French company Naval Group about $830 million to settle the scrapped $90 billion defence contract.
Instead, Australia is now pursuing a nuclear-powered submarine agreement with the US and UK under the AUKUS partnership, which had caused a diplomatic stoush and saw France recall ambassadors from Canberra and Washington.
New opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie has questioned the size of the compensation being paid to France, saying the outgoing Morrison government had been aiming for a significantly lower figure….