Australia's improved strategic response to China from AUKUS, especially the future nuclear propelled submarine aspect, are much needed virtues.
There are also domestic political ramifications witin Australia. The nuke sub deal has occurred in the runup to Australia’s next Federal Election to be held by on or before May 21, 2022. "Wedging" means politically dividing in Australian parlance.
Australia’s Morrison Liberal-National Coalition Government would be fully aware that to further the sub deal, from the Australian end, the Coalition Government needs to stay in office. In the past the Australian Labor Party (ALP) opposition has been indecisive in pushing through naval building projects and opposed to anything vaguely nuclear let alone nuclear propulsion for submarines. It is highly significant that the Coalition is running behind the ALP, by a wide margin, in opinion polls.
Hence the Coalition Government, by establishing a nuke sub future under AUKUS:
- has been dividing the traditionally ant-nuclear ALP Left from the pro-Jobs and Economic Growth ALP Center-Right faction.
- is compromising the leftwing ant-nuclear principles of the ALP’s Leader, Anthony Albanese, who has always had a tenuous hold leading the ALP.
- adding to Albanese’s discomfiture to the benefit of Bill Shorten, of Labor’s Center-Right faction, who still covets the job of being ALP Leader.
and
- is dividing the ALP from the virulently anti-nuclear, leftwing Greens Party, whose support is often required for the ALP to win power and govern.
All this means is that fewer leftwing Australian voters will likely vote for the ALP in the coming Election by May 2022.
If the ALP wins the next Federal Election (with help from the Greens)then this may effectively cancel the (future) Australian nuclear submarine deal!