Multiple Australian outlets argue that the AUKUS security partnership should be subject to greater transparency. In separate opinion-focused coverage, The Brisbane Times, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age all reference a reported estimated total cost of $368 billion for Australia’s AUKUS-related defence arrangements. The articles contend that secrecy during policy development is rarely justified and that public access and scrutiny are especially important for a major, long-term defence program. While the pieces emphasize transparency as the central issue, they do not present new technical details about specific contracts. Instead, they frame the debate around governance and accountability: how decisions are made, what information is shared with the public, and the extent to which parliamentary and public oversight should apply as funds are committed. Overall, the outlets align on the view that, given the scale of the estimated cost and the significance of the partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom, secrecy should be limited and information should be more readily available.