Another positive from the Coalition.

Communist China has formally (and gobsmackingly given its inability to abide by agreements) applied to join with Australia and 10 others the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Acceptance must be unaminous.

Australia has blocked the Communists! Hip, hip .....

Communist China has the same lack of integrity and lack of self-awareness as toddlers in their "terrible twos"; and they must be dealt with the same way toddlers are dealt with.

ttbn,
I agree the Coalition are stupid, yet I’m surprised that you think so.

I do not think that the money would be spent on research etc., but I think that it should be.
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The quietest nuclear sub would use the technology of the diesel electric ones, batteries and electric motors for underwater propulsion and shut down the steam engine when submerged in sensitive areas.

The first submarines were man powered, sweat and guts turned the propellor.
The only steam powered subs ever previously built, the British ‘K’ boats, used oil fired boilers.
The ‘K’s were not a success.

NUCLEAR SUB AGREEMENT is WEDGING and WEAKENING THE ALP, PRE-ELECTION

While Australia's improved strategic response to China from AUKUS, and the nuke sub portion of it, are the chief virtues:

Australia to build and use nuke subs is already Wedging the Labor Party.

Specifically Albanese, of the traditionally anti-nuclear Labor Left, has been compromised by agreeing to Morrison's major nuke sub initiative.

Meanwhile the more pro-jobs centre/right, Shorten and Joel Fitzgibbon who have already been destabilising Albanese, may well show greater enthusiasm for nuke subs.

The nuke subs mean more money and jobs for Unions and Aus industry.

All this compromising and wedging will divide Labor, weaken its credibility and lose Leftwing voter support going into the next Federal Election by May 2022.

Steam powered subs, now there is an idea that would be seized upon
by Malcolm Turnbull. Why didn't someone suggest that to him ?
That the Brits tried it does not surprise me.
Did it have a funnel poking up through the water ? Have a feeling I
saw a black & white picture of one once.

Now on a positive note
The Nuclear sub deal was inevitable. A possible way to calm things
down all round and get submarines earlier would be to award contracts
to the US and UK companies for two each submarines and to build the
remaining four in Adelaide to which design looks the best.
Then to alleviate France's disappointment award contracts for two
nuclear power stations.
By the time that all comes to fruition the power stations will be a
dire necessity.

If the Greens have their way all of our energy requirements will be nuclear derived, so Paul may be right.

Hi Foxy

In support of your points the Collins class are old in years/immersion cycles, and old in technology,

hence have overly noisy hulls.
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In the 2020s upgrades, the Collins' inefficient, reduced performance, low selling Swedish Hedemora diesels will not likely be replaced with far better German MTU diesels.

The Collins Hedemora diesels are so maintenance intensive that they need to be removed from Collins subs every few years.

This involves major cutting of the Collins' pressure hulls, which weakens those hulls, which reduces the Collins maximum diving depths, making the Collins obsolete, already.
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In short, from 2020-2040 (when our nuke subs appear) the Collins may be a match for Indonesia but not against China.
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No, we've haven't spent "24 billion" on the Attack class, only a pittance, around 3 Billion, of taxpayers money.

"It's unclear how much Australia will have to pay to scuttle the deal with France." Maybe around 500 million.

LETS NOT FORGET - breach/termination of contract penalties to LOCKHEED MARTIN

who are handling the COMBAT SYSTEM third or quarter of the Attack class contracts.
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Yes, it usually costs more in "disposal of waste and the disposal [DECOMMISSIONING] of [NUCLEAR] subs at the end of their lives"

than actually building them.