Australia showed its 'affection' to France during world wars, says acting PM

Australia doesn't have to prove its “affinity” and “affection” to the French as “tens of thousands of Australians died on French soil” during both world wars, said acting prime minister Barnaby Joyce.

The remark comes as the French government has got enraged with the cancellation of the French-Australian $90bn submarine deal and the announcement of the strategic partnership between Australia, the US and the UK, known as Aukus. The French ambassador has said the nation felt it had been “fooled”.

Watch:

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In his first stint as acting PM, Joyce said he understood the French government’s disappointment about the scrapped $90bn submarine deal, but Australia had nothing to prove.

“Australia doesn’t need to prove their affinity and their affection and their resolute desire to look after the liberty and the freedom and the equality of France,” the leader said.

Also Read:Melbourne to buy trains from French firm amid diplomatic spat

“We have tens of thousands of Australians, who have died on French soil or died protecting French soil from the countries that surround them both in the first world war and the second world war. I never expected they came with a price because the price of those families, the tragedy of those deaths, is without price. It’s without cost.”

After Scott Morrison left the country to meet Joe Biden in the United States, Joyce made the comments.