Early this month, Port Kembla was touted as the preferred location for a future base for Australia and visiting nuclear-powered submarine fleets, under a federal government plan.

The proposal came after declaring the AUKUS pact, a deal which would see America and the United Kingdom help Australia acquire highly-sophisticated nuclear-powered submarines.

Read more: Nuclear submarine debate sinks like a stone at Shoalhaven council

Union leader Arthur Rorris spoke at a Wollongong rally against the base on the weekend, telling protesters, "nuclear sub rorts scandal makes sports rorts look like a picnic".

He said the proposal must be the first case investigated by a new federal corruption body that Labor and cross benches have committed to establishing in the first term of a new government.

"A new Labor Government is committed to a federal ICAC in its first term," the South Coast Labour Council secretary said.

"Let's give it its first job. Move over sports rorts, that was the entree, nuclear sub rorts is the main course."

Mr Rorris was referring to the scandal of then-sports minister Bridget McKenzie and the Prime Minister's Office using a $100 million scheme as a way of gaining political advantage for Coalition candidates in the 2019 federal election by favouring applicants located in marginal electorates.

"The Morrison and Dutton Government are committing $300 billion on nuclear subs including $10 billion on one of one shortlisted bases against the Department of Defence advice and with a business case scribbled on the back of a blank cheque," he said.

"No wonder the French were pissed off. They smelt a rat and so do we."

Mr Rorris said the plan was one of the biggest single-spending decisions in Australian history and was "made without public scrutiny" months before a federal election, with ir hanging over the head of taxpayers for 50 years.

"If Prime Minister Scott Morrison isn't following departmental advice and expert reports which ruled out basing subs in ports like Port Kembla, the question is who has he and Dutton been talking with?" he said.

"Perhaps it is the multinational corporations that are about to receive hundreds of billions of dollars from the taxpayers. Are any of them, their subsidiaries or partners donors to the Liberal Party?

"We won't know till well after the election because Morrison is keeping them secret and will not reform political donation laws to mandate real time reporting."

Mr Rorris said government leaders needed to be held account for their decisions and if found to have breached public trust then there should be consequences.

"Put Morrison in the witness dock and get him to explain himself," he said.

"Some multinational companies that make these nuclear-powered war machines are going to take hundreds of billions of dollars of Australian taxpayers dollars while Australians are struggling to keep their heads above water, to rebuild their lives after a series of disasters."

"This is one very expensive way to make our coastal communities nuclear targets.

"When our hospitals and schools are told that we don't have enough money in the kitty for more nurses and teachers and Morrison is playing Scrooge with drowning northern rivers communities and drip feeding funds they desperately need, this is a scandal we cannot afford."

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