Former prime minister Paul Keating has issued a scathing rebuke of the AUKUS submarine program.

Australia will buy up to give American-made nuclear-powered submarines during the 2030s and begin building its own, to be ready by the mid-2040s.

The former Labor leader described the plan as an “affront on public administration” and “irrational in every dimension”.

But Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Justin Bassi believes the submarines are integral to deterring China from an all-out war.

“We absolutely have to have both deft diplomacy and strong defence,” he told Sofie Formica. “They are both sides of the same coin.

“The ultimate aim of a strong defence capability is to deter and avoid war.”

Press PLAY below to hear which of Mr Keating’s points Justin Bassi “fundamentally” disagrees with

Image: Mick Tsikas-Pool/Getty Images