Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating has slammed the government's plan to buy nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, calling it "the worst deal in history". Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Keating said the decision to buy the submarines was "a mistake of historic proportions". "The government has decided to spend billions of dollars on a fleet of submarines that are simply not suited to the needs of the Australian Navy," he said. "This is a waste of taxpayers' money and a serious misjudgment of the strategic needs of our nation." Keating went on to criticize the government's lack of transparency in the process, saying that the details of the deal were not made public until after the decision had been made. "This is a betrayal of the public trust and a betrayal of the principles of open government," he said. Keating's comments come after the government announced plans to buy 12 nuclear-powered submarines from the United States at a cost of $50 billion. The submarines, which are expected to be in service by 2026, will replace Australia's aging fleet of Collins-class submarines. The government has defended the decision, saying the submarines are necessary to ensure the security of Australia's coastline. However, Keating said the government had failed to consider the long-term implications of the deal, saying it was "not in the interests of the Australian people". The government has yet to respond to Keating's comments.