Submarine crisis: Australian Prime Minister claims he never lied – franceinfo

He believes he has enough leather to face the accusations of dishonesty coming in particular from Emmanuel Macron. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison assured Friday, November 12 that he had never lied in his public life. “No no, I don’t think so”, he answered a question on the subject on the air of a local radio station.

The French president has however accused Scott Morrison of having openly lied to him after the breach of the “contract of the century”, relating to the sale for 55 billion euros of 12 submarines. Emmanuel Macron said he discovered at the last moment that Australia had secretly negotiated a new contract with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Former government chief Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison’s rival in the Liberal Party, fueled the controversy by ensuring that his successor had a reputation for lying. The Prime Minister’s sincerity has become a major topic of debate on the Australian political scene as Scott Morrison could run for a second term in the elections next May.

“I learned in public life, over a long period, not to have too fine leather”, insisted the Prime Minister. Scott Morrison assures that these accusations did not disturb him and that he is certain to have taken the right decision by breaking the engagement on the French submarines in order to ensure the national defense of his country.