‘Leaking Macron’s texts to media a new low’

French president Emmanuel Macron speaks during a plenary session as part of the World Leaders’ Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on Monday. Pic/AFP

Australia leaking French President Emmanuel Macron's text messages to the media was a "new low" and a warning to other world leaders that their private communications with the Australian government could be weaponised and used against them, the French ambassador said on Wednesday. French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault used an address to Australia's National Press Club to make a withering attack on Canberra's surprise decision to scrap a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract with France to build a fleet of 12 diesel-electric submarines.

Australian media on Tuesday reported the contents of a text message from Macron to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in September in which the French leader asked, "Should I expect good or bad news for our joint submarines ambitions?"

Morrison used it as proof that Macron knew the deal was in doubt after Macron accused the Australian leader of lying during a Paris dinner in June. Macron said Morrison gave him no indication the deal would not go ahead. France has condemned the leak as a further breach of trust. "This is an unprecedented new low, in terms of truth and trust," Thebault said.

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