Submarine crisis: Australian prime minister says he never lied – archyworldys

In itself, the sentence is not addressed directly to Emmanuel Macron. But it can be interpreted as a response to the accusations made by the President of the French Republic against the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, in the context of the submarines affair, which has strongly shaken the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

When asked by a Melbourne 3AW radio reporter if he had ever lied in public life, the Australian Prime Minister replied on Friday, November 12: “I don’t think I have [menti], no no. “

This statement responds in ricochet to the words of Mr. Macron who recently accused the head of the Australian government of having openly lied to him abouta 55 billion euro contract for twelve submarines, canceled without warning in September.

The French president, who says he found out at the last moment that Australia had secretly negotiated a nuclear-powered submarine deal with the United States and the United Kingdom, told Australian reporters at the start of the report. months that he “Sava[ait] “ that Scott Morrison had lied to him.

A major subject of debate on the Australian political scene

Scott Morrison’s predecessor and rival in the Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, did not calm the debate, assuring that the current Prime Minister had a reputation for lying. The latter’s sincerity has become a major issue on the Australian political scene and a possible weakness for Mr Morrison, who could run for a second term in the elections to be held in May.

But Mr. Morrison brushed off the question: “I learned, in public life, not to have too fine leather. “ The head of government assures us that these accusations did not disturb him and that he was then certain of having taken the right decision by breaking the commitment relating to French submarines in order to ensure the national defense of his country. .

“I was not afraid that [sa décision] bothers some people or offends certain sensibilities ”, he insisted, pointing out that American nuclear-powered submarine technology had not been shared with another country since 1958, when an agreement was signed with the United Kingdom.