Australia to Macron: ‘We didn’t deface Eiffel Tower’

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison denies lying to French President Emmanuel Macron while secretly negotiating a submarine deal with the United States and Britain. The accusation has escalated a rift over Australia’s surprise cancelation of a French deal. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce suggested France was overreacting, saying, “we didn’t deface the Eiffel Tower.” Australia dropped the contract for diesel-electric submarines to acquire nuclear-powered submarines instead. Asked whether he thinks Morrison lied to him, Macron replied, “I don’t think, I know” he lied. Australian government ministers criticized the French leader for the personal slight and said Morrison could not have disclosed details of the nuclear sub deal for national security reasons.