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Posted by Ralph Wood on March 15, 2023, 15:25:35, in reply to "Re: Australian subs"
The article I first linked said Australia originally liked the French design because it left a nuclear version option open to them.
Now, though, this article quotes Macron thusly:
"Macron said the French offer "remains on the table".
He said France would not supply nuclear submarines to foreign countries, so the offer related only to conventional vessels."
From this:
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20221117-macron-says-france-s-submarine-cooperation-offer-with-australia-still-on-the-table
So, if true, then the answer to your question is simply that France would not sell them nukes, when they decided they wanted nukes. (In addition to all the political and financial issues.) 
Previous Message
Extremely political. Many viewpoints. Some legitimate French grievances.
In the end, while this is the most detailed breakdown I have seen, there are multiple references to financial difficulties with the deal.
This is an older article, closer to the event itself, and about as neutral/matter-of-fact as I have seen:
https://www.politico.eu/article/why-australia-wanted-out-of-its-french-sub-deal/
There are also the diplomatic aspects of Australia's entering into the AUKUS agreement (which is naturally a contentious subject.)
Previous Message
When Australia decided to get nuclear subs, why didn't they redo the contract and buy the French one?
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