Hi Luciferase

The Government would have lost the July 2 Election if it hadn't backed the submarine "job creation project" in South Australia. Enough LNP seats in South Australia would have fallen to NXT and Labor - to lose LNP the Election.

Federal money = jobs = votes = winning Elections.

I don't think the current lack of strategic threat of China To Australia justifies nuclear subs - yet. But the Government can quietly negotiate with US Government to buy or lease nuclear subs in the future.

This is when the strategic threats force our public into accepting nuclear - a major hurdle.

No nation has claimed an ocean?
Maurizio Isabella, ‎Konstantina Zanou - 2015 - ‎
CHAPTER FOUR ... imperial presence in the Mediterranean, which by the 1840s had become a 'British lake'.
And Chinese today remember that Victoria Hong Kong was British until 15 years ago. The China sea is the size of Queensland , the same queen. Some rational observers believe UK and Oz are US territory but I don't.

Luciferase, The 12 submarines will spend their time tied up at the dock.
We will have no diesel to refuel them with if there is any sort of
a low or high level military event.
The cabinet did discuss nuclear subs but cabinet decided on jobs for
the boys.

I have one solution that would cripple China.
However it would need for some really bad action by China for a chance
for it to be activated.
A ban by all other countries on shipping passing through the Sth China Sea.

This would mean everything going to China, oil, coal, iron ore,
exports etc from China would have to be carried in Chinese ships.
However if those ships were banned from other ports, the Malacca and
Sunda Straits etc a great deal of damage would be done to the Chinese economy.
So China needs to consider what retaliation might be made.

Indeed there could be an insurance ban if China attacks any ships.
That would bring China to a grinding halt.
China does not hold all the cards.

Well Bazz that would just about lock the sea into Chinese control permanently. Poor old China is forced into a monopoly on Asian shipping..

No Nick, it would be forced into a no sea trade situation.
If the insurance companies took part nothing would move.
It would need very widespread support but actually I do not think it is about shipping at all.
It is all about oil.

The southern part is reputed to have large areas with oil prospects.
You might remember they installed a jack up rig in Vietnam's 200nm
resource zone and upset the Vietnamese no end.
They pulled it out after a while perhaps because it was dry.

Maybe the oil rig exploration was insured with these chappies:
The 5 Biggest Chinese Insurance Companies | Investopedia
www.investopedia.com/.../5-biggest-chinese-insurance-companies.asp
Sep 3, 2015 - Today, the biggest insurance companies in China rank among the largest companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. ... (NYSE: LFC) is the biggest insurance company in China and one of the top insurance companies in the world. ... China Life is listed on the Shanghai Stock ...