The Hon Peter Khalil MP

The Hon. Peter Khalil MP was appointed the Assistant Minister for Defence following the 2025 Federal Election, responsible for security, infrastructure, energy resilience and force posture across Australia’s continental and overseas bases, divestment reform and PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) remediation across the Defence estate, ICT and enhancement of classified networks, systems and security vetting across Defence and military disaster and humanitarian assistance responses.

He was first elected to the House of Representatives in the Australian Parliament in 2016. He was appointed by the Prime Minister as the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (2022–2024), spearheading efforts to review Australia's terrorist listings and reform of Australia’s national security intelligence agencies. He was also appointed by the Prime Minister as Special Envoy for Social Cohesion (2024–2025) and has been a member of the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, and was Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Treaties.

Prior to his election to Australian Parliament, he worked for the Department of Defence, serving with Defence in Iraq (2003–2004). He worked on policies to rebuild the Iraqi security forces, intelligence services and institutions, led negotiations with militias and tribal forces, established national command authorities of the Iraqi interim government, including the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. He provided policy advice to senior Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and military leadership on counter terrorism, counter insurgency, defence and international security sector reform and missions of the Iraqi security forces. He was the coalition representative on the Security Committee of the Iraqi Governing Council, providing security advice to interim Iraqi Prime Minister and ministers. He was awarded the Australian Overseas Humanitarian Services medal for his work, the highest civilian honour.

Following his time in Iraq, Peter was a visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington DC, a political risk consultant for Eurasia Group in New York, and served as National Security Adviser to the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (2007–2008), Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for International Security Studies at Sydney University, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Strategy and Communications at SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) and was a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner.

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.

Peter is married with 2 children and is a devoted supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.