The Hon Peter Khalil MP

The Hon Peter Khalil MP - Assistant Minister for Defence - portrait image.

Designation

Assistant Minister for Defence

Media contacts

media@defence.gov.au

Designation

Assistant Minister for Defence

Minister profile

The Hon. Peter Khalil MP is the Assistant Minister for Defence and the Federal Member for Wills.

Peter was first elected to the House of Representatives for Wills, Victoria in 2016.

Previously, Peter was the Special Envoy for Social Cohesion from July 2024 to May 2025, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security from September 2022 to October 2024, and has held numerous committee positions.

Peter is a second generation Australian. His parents migrated from Egypt to Melbourne for a better life. He grew up in public housing and played AFL and tennis semi-professionally after leaving school. Peter went on to study a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law at the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws at Australian National University, 

Prior to entering Parliament Peter was the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Strategy and Communications at SBS and a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner. He also has served as a foreign policy and national security adviser to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He has also worked as a public servant at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of Defence.

Peter is married with 2 children and supports the Collingwood Football Club.