A French envoy says Australia leaking President Macron’s text messages to the media is a “new low” and a warning to other world leaders that their private communications with the Australian government could be weaponized and used against them.
French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault used an address to Australia’s National Press Club to make a withering attack on Canberra’s surprise decision to scrap a 90 billion Australian dollar contract with France to build a fleet of 12 diesel-electric submarines.
Morrison used it as proof that Macron knew the deal was in doubt after Macron accused the Australian leader of lying during a Paris dinner in June. Macron said Morrison gave him no indication the deal would not go ahead.“This is an unprecedented new low, in terms of how to proceed and also in terms of truth and trust,” Thebault said.
“It completely demonstrates that until the last minute, we didn’t know where things were heading to,” Thebault said. “It completely demonstrates that nothing has ever been told to us.” The French ambassador agreed with Macron’s assessment that he had been lied to by Morrison on multiple occasions.“But, you know, among heads of states and governments, when you mislead a friend and an ally, you lie to him,” Thebault added.
“Claims were made and claims were refuted,” Morrison said. “Australia made the decision not to go ahead with a contract for a submarine that was not going to do the job that Australia needed it to do, and I’ll never make any apologies for that decision.”
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