Media releases

Australia welcomes submarine training opportunity from UK

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon. Richard Marles was hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace at the commissioning of HMS Anson at BAE Systems, Barrow. As part of our AUKUS partnership, Prime Minister Johnson and Secretary…

Defence boosts ICT and cyber security capabilities to win in digital age

Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP launched the 2022 Defence Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy and the Defence Cyber Security Strategy at a Defence ICT industry forum today. Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite said a key element of both strategies…

Deputy Prime Minister to visit Germany, the United Kingdom and France

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, will visit Germany, the United Kingdom and France from 29 August to 1 September. This is the Deputy Prime Minister’s first visit to these three countries since assuming office and is an important opportunity to reaffirm…

First meeting of Veterans' Wellbeing Taskforce under Albanese government

Following the release of the Royal Commission’s Interim Report into Defence and Veterans Suicide, the Veterans Wellbeing Taskforce has been convened by new Minister for Veterans Affairs and Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh. In this first meeting under the Albanese Labor Government, State and Territory…

$4.35 million investment for veteran-owned South Australian space company

The Australian Government has signed a $4.35 million contract with veteran-owned South Australian company, Asension, to deliver a space-based tactical sensor system for use by Defence. The contract, awarded through the Defence Innovation Hub, demonstrates the Government’s commitment to…

Funding applications now open for Veterans' Health Week

Ex-service organisations and community groups can now apply for funding to help host events promoting healthy eating as part of this year’s Veterans’ Health Week. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said hosting or participating in a Veterans’ Health Week event is a fantastic way to support…

Deputy Prime Minister trains with AFLW players serving in the ADF

Ahead of the 2022 Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) season launch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP has taken to the field to train with Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who are also AFLW players and coaches. Wearing the colours of his…

Darwin Veterans' and Families' Hub construction underway

Joint media release Luke Gosling OAM MP, Member for Solomon Construction has commenced on a permanent home for the Darwin Veterans’ and Families’ Hub to help support the 10,000 veterans and families in the Northern Territory. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said the Australian Government’…

World-first treatment for PTSD to help our veterans

A partnership between the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Department of Defence and the Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health has led to world-first research and the development of an innovative new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research explored a new…

Hellfire Pass

The Hellfire Pass Memorial in Thailand is a tribute to the Allied prisoners of war and local labourers who worked on the Burma-Thailand railway during the Second World War. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh laid a wreath at the memorial today and paid tribute to the more than 60,000 Allied…

Recognising Vietnam Veterans

Tomorrow, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, Australia pauses to recognise the men and women who served in the Vietnam War, 60 years after the first Australian defence personnel were sent to South Vietnam. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said the Vietnam War was era-defining, and the longest…

Remembering one of the most tragic chapters in Australian wartime history

On 15 August 1945, while the world celebrated the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, one of the most tragic chapters of Australian military history was drawing to a close on the island of Borneo. The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh has travelled to Sandakan in Malaysia to attend…