Amid choppy waters around ‘secondhand subs’ and Trump, Labor’s sensitivity about the Aukus debate is growing

Labor needs to do a better job explaining why one of the most expensive decisions ever taken by an Australian government should remain in the national interest

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In a week of controversy around the Aukus nuclear agreement, Vice Adm Mark Hammond might be forgiven for feeling singed by public scrutiny.

Hammond, the chief of the navy, was giving evidence in budget estimates hearings on Wednesday when he revealed that he had been “directed” to speak at an Aukus conference at Washington’s exclusive Cosmos Club back in April.