Australia's defence ministry has been slammed on Sky News Australia over reports counselling has been provided for aides who are upset over the scrapping of a submarine project with France. It comes after the Australian Government opted to ditch the French supplied diesel submarines for the state of the art nuclear subs provided by the Americans and British under the AUKUS alliance.

       Host Chris Smith told the Sky News Australia show: "I couldn't believe this but we have counselors being sent in to hold the hands of those who were working on the diesel subs project.

       "Because the senior brace at the ADF (Australian Defence Forces) are worried that they are going to be terribly upset that the deal is going to be cancelled.

       "Precious petals in the navy."

       Social commentator Prue MacSween chimed in: "Yeah poor little dithums.

       "Look I get the fact if you have been working on a project for years and suddenly the rug is pulled out from under you.

       "You shouldn't have been working on that damn project from the start.

       "And if you were one of the dudes, the fools who signed up for it that you know I don't have much sympathy for you.

       "Whoever is making decisions, the purchasing decisions, the contract decisions in Defence needs to be sacked."

       Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron was mocked by a Sky News Australia pundit amid the fallout in Paris over the cancellation of the submarine deal.

       "France, the country that we helped to defend in World War I, at huge cost in lives, the country we helped to liberate in World War II, has now recalled its ambassador in protest and is now calling on other members of the European Union to freeze out Australia from a new free trade agreement."

       The comments come as the former French diplomat Gérard Araud argued the UK has a 'subsidiary' role in AUKUS alliance.

       Mr Araud declared Britain is the "fifth wheel of the carriage" between the US and Australia during a furious outburst on LBC.

       He LBC: "In terms of nuclear technology, military nuclear technology, the UK is heavily dependant on the US.

       "So for us, the UK has had a subsidiary role in all the maneuvering and the problem is in Washington DC, and it is in Canberra."