Ex-Service Member EXPOSES Submarine Scam: AUKUS Fooled Australia | Major Cameron Leckie

Summary

Former Australian Army major Cameron Leckie describes how his faith in Australia’s military role eroded over time. He joined the Army as a teenager, influenced by the ANZAC tradition and the belief that Australia stood for democracy and fairness. Deployments in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, and the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami initially reinforced that sense of purpose. But the Iraq War, the long conflict in Afghanistan, Libya, and events in Ukraine led him to question whether Western governments’ stated reasons for military action matched their actual conduct. He says he eventually concluded that Australian forces were often serving US strategic interests rather than Australia’s own.

Government, media, and public trust

Leckie argues that declining public trust in Western governments and media is partly driven by a lack of scrutiny of official claims. He cites reporting and whistleblower accounts concerning the OPCW’s investigation of the 2018 Douma attack, saying Australian media largely ignored evidence that might challenge the official account. In his view, allegations against geopolitical rivals can become accepted as facts and repeatedly used to justify policy, while Western actions receive less skepticism.

He attributes this to institutional incentives, career pressures, and potentially the influence of intelligence agencies, while acknowledging that the exact role of those agencies may only become clear through future disclosures.

Australia’s place in a changing world

The discussion turns to Australia’s position in a changing world. Leckie says the country remains shaped by its European colonial history and a lingering sense of insecurity about Asia, despite becoming highly multicultural and economically connected to the region. He sees the global balance of power shifting eastward and argues that Australia should adapt rather than cling to a US-led order. He regards the contradiction between China being a major source of Australian prosperity and being portrayed as its principal threat as a sign of that tension.

Leckie criticizes the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), arguing that its funding sources and output encourage a strongly anti-China outlook and promote military spending. He says such analysis often emphasizes hypothetical threats from China while overlooking comparable actions by Western states. More broadly, he believes pro-imperial arguments are losing credibility as public scrutiny grows.

Military ethics and war powers

Leckie explains that Australian service members receive training in the laws of armed conflict and are taught that “just following orders” is not a legal defence. Yet he says the Iraq War illustrates how political leaders and military institutions can present an unlawful war as legitimate at the time, leaving personnel unlikely to question their deployment until later.

He supports reforming Australia’s war powers so Parliament, rather than the prime minister alone, must approve decisions to go to war.

Gaza and Australia’s foreign policy

Leckie says the war in Gaza has shifted many Australians’ views of their country’s foreign policy. He points to reports that Australian-made parts for F-35 aircraft are sent to Israel and argues that this raises serious questions about Australia’s responsibility, given its obligations under the Genocide Convention. He notes that large public demonstrations reflect the level of concern, while recognizing that Australians remain divided over Israel’s actions.

US influence and regional cooperation

Leckie’s broader argument is that US power is declining because the costs of maintaining its global commitments now outweigh the returns. He expects the US military footprint to contract gradually rather than disappear suddenly, and sees AUKUS as an example of the risks of Australia’s continued dependence on Washington. He questions whether Australia will receive the submarines it is paying for, while noting the expansion of US access to Australian facilities under the countries’ force-posture arrangements. He suggests that reduced or increasingly infrequent US use of those facilities could become a sign of a gradual retreat.

Finally, Leckie sees closer regional cooperation as necessary but unlikely in the immediate future, given the alignment of Australia’s major parties with the United States and their efforts to limit China’s influence in the Pacific. He anticipates that political change could eventually open the way to a more independent Australian foreign policy and stronger engagement with Asian neighbours, though he estimates this may still be several years away.

Presenters and contributors

• Pascal Lottaz — host
• Cameron Leckie — guest, former Australian Army major