Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected the criticism surrounding the AUKUS deal.

His comments come as reports emerge of current and past MPs rebelling against the alliance as uncertainty grows.

“I’d say the defeatist arguments that say we shouldn’t do this because it’s all too hard and Australia isn’t up to it and so we should settle for less, I reject, I think that’s talking down Australia,” he told Michael McLaren.

He says the deal has received bipartisan support from all the governments involved in the deal, despite a number of leadership changes.

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