Tough luck, I guess. Someone's brother, someone's child. Their pathetic apology doesn't right the wrong.

Frankly, I don't want to have anything to do with them and their bumbling military killing apparatus and fruitless and damaging incursions into other countries.

Their win record since World War II is looking pretty ordinary. I'd rather have another "best buddy", preferably someone who knows my name.

The less the military and wannabes like Dutton have to do with our foreign policy and good productive relationships with other countries, the better place Australia would be.

Stuff their subs and all the rest. What a waste of lives and money Afghanistan proved to be. Surely there is a better way to create a better world than this.

By the way, they were also "sorry", too, that seven children were part of the 10 killed. Oh well, I'm sure that makes people feel better.

It is quite unclear why Australia did not renegotiate the French submarine deal to enable us to install the nuclear technology the French used in their own submarines, rather than break the deal altogether.

Not only would we not have offended the French, but we would have been more independent of the US in the process, not wasted so much money, and got the subs sooner.

In the report "UK talks tough on climate ahead of summit", September 22, p3), British High Commissioner Vicki Treadall stresses the importance of Australia's bringing more ambitious emissions targets to the Glasgow climate summit in November.

The Australian government's present emissions reduction preference falls a long way short of what is necessary: according to Joëlle Gergis, a co-author of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest.

Mr Morrison will have to change his preference to a commitment if he wishes to avoid being pilloried and humiliated in Glasgow.

The way for Labor to overcome its current low polling would be to announce a well-thought-out policy on climate change (including as many costings as possible) at the appropriate time.

In so doing Labor would take votes off the Liberal Party, National Party, the Greens and an increasing number of independent climate-focused candidates.

Equally importantly, Labor would pursue a more independent foreign policy under a foreign minister who knows China.

With the latest sub deal cancellation with France and then new contracts for nuclear subs with America, it's probably timely - and it has a ring to it - to start boldly and appropriately using the descriptive phrase or term "Ausmerica". I like it.

I wonder when our government leaders who keep deluging us with never-ending iterations of "road maps" will wake up to the fact that no road maps ever show us where the potholes are.

Mokhles K. Sidden ("Time to change", Letters, September 22) overlooks one significant cause of French annoyance over the subs farce.

The French had to make substantial modifications to their (nuclear-powered) submarine design to accommodate Australia's demand for diesel-electric propulsion.

Now, the rationale for ditching the French sub is that the AUKUS deal offers nuclear-powered propulsion.

As the French would say: "Merde."