Media releases

Hundreds of new homes for Defence personnel in Rockingham

Today the Albanese Government announced the signing of three contracts between Defence Housing Australia (DHA) and Western Australian businesses to deliver 550 additional new households for Defence personnel and their families. The new homes will be leased to DHA and provide accommodation close to…

Cyber sanctions imposed on Russian citizens for cybercrime

Australia has imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on three Russian citizens for their involvement in the Evil Corp cybercrime group. Evil Corp is one of the most prolific and longest running cybercrime groups in the world.  For more than a decade, Evil Corp has been…

Travel to New Zealand for South Pacific Defence Ministers' Meeting

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, will travel to Auckland today to participate in the 2024 South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM).  Hosted by New Zealand, SPDMM 2024 marks the ninth iteration of this key regional defence forum, at which ministers…

Visit to Norway and the United Kingdom

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, will travel this week to Norway and the United Kingdom to meet with his counterparts and participate in the third AUKUS Defence Ministers’ Meeting.    This visit to Norway follows the Albanese Government’s…

25 Years of Australian service in Timor-Leste

As we mark 25 years of Australian service in Timor-Leste, we remember Australia’s long and proud history of international peacekeeping. When the Timorese people took the courageous step of voting for independence in 1999 and asked the international community for help to secure their nation,…

Major infrastructure project opened in Vanuatu

The newly redeveloped Cook Barracks in Port Vila has officially opened, reflecting the strong partnership between the governments of Australia and Vanuatu.  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, joined Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas to open the upgraded…

Visit to Vanuatu

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, will travel to Vanuatu this week from 18 – 19 September.  Australia and Vanuatu share a deep and enduring partnership, founded on a shared vision of a prosperous, peaceful and resilient region.   During his visit,…

Albanese Government invests in Domestic Rocket Motor Program

The Albanese Government is investing in a sovereign rocket motor program to help keep Australians safe, and generate well-paid, high-skilled jobs.  The Government is seeking options from industry to establish a manufacturing complex that will enable production of rocket motors for some of the…

Travel to Timor-Leste for the 25th Anniversary of the International Force East Timor

Today, I will travel to Timor-Leste to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the deployment of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) in Dili.  INTERFET was an Australian-led multinational peacekeeping task force, authorised through a United Nations Security Council Resolution, to assist…

Closure of the Afghanistan Inquiry Report

The Albanese Government has finalised its commitment to close out the recommendations of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry report.  In 2016, the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force commissioned Major General the Honourable Paul Brereton AM…

Tabling of the Final Report of The Royal Commission Into Defence and Veteran Suicide

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Final Report has been delivered to the Government and tabled in Parliament today.   The Report is an important body of work which marks the culmination of the most significant and comprehensive inquiry conducted into suicide and suicidality…

Acquisition of Joint Strike Missile to boost Australia’s Long-Range Strike Capability

The Albanese Government is further accelerating Australia’s long-range strike capability through the acquisition of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) from 2025.  The Government and Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace have signed a $142 million contract to deliver the JSM for use…