All releases

Press Conference, AUSMIN, Washington DC

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, everyone for coming here this afternoon. Today Penny and I participated in AUSMIN on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of AUSMIN with Secretary Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, and Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of…

Joint Fact Sheet on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on December 8 in Washington, D.C., marking 40 years of AUSMIN consultations. Building on the historic October 2025…

Joint Fact Sheet on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on December 8 in Washington, D.C., marking 40 years of AUSMIN consultations. Building on the historic October 2025…

Television Interview, ABC News

SUBJECTS: Veterans’ and families’ hubs, Defence Force recruitment, Sexual violence in the Defence Force.  

National Press Club Q&A

SUBJECTS: Veterans’ and families’ hubs, Defence Force recruitment, Sexual violence in the Defence Force.

Australian Industry Group

Thank you Innes for your kind invitation, and to Greg Barsby and Paul Chase, Co-Chairs of the Defence Council at AIG.  And thank you for organising this event tonight and hosting an important conversation. Let me start with the global context… There is a strategic contest that is underway.…

Australia Industry and Workers making the grade with US Virginia Class Submarines Submariness

The Albanese Government is announcing today HIFraser as the first Australian company qualified to supply parts for US Virginia class submarines through the Government-funded Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program (DIVQ) – supporting advanced manufacturing, creating high-value jobs, and…

Television Interview, ABC

SUBJECTS: Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead; AUKUS.  JANE NORMAN, ABC: Defence Minister Richard Marles, Vice Admiral Mead, welcome. Thanks for your time. You've been in the service for more than 40 years now. Did you ever imagine that at the end of it, Australia would be on the cusp of acquiring…

Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead

Director-General of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead has advised the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence that he will step down from his role in mid-2026.  Vice Admiral Mead has made an enormous contribution to the development of the AUKUS optimal…

Aussie Battery Technology set to be used in AUKUS Subs

The Albanese Government is pleased to announce a strategic contract that paves the way for Australian battery technology to be used in the AUKUS submarine design, supporting local innovation and hundreds of jobs. South Australian-based PMB Defence is partnering with BAE Systems in the United…

An AUKUS milestone - launch of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator

The Albanese Government has delivered a key milestone in Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine program with the establishment of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. The new statutory Agency is responsible for the effective regulatory oversight of…

Television Interview, ABC 7:30

SUBJECTS: AUKUS; Prime Minister’s visit to the United States; Unsafe and unprofessional interaction with PLA-AF; Taiwan; Defence spending; Critical minerals   MICHAEL ROWLAND, HOST: The Acting Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, joined me earlier. Richard Marles, welcome.…