Speeches

Speech to the 2026 Defending Australia Summit

*** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY *** Can I acknowledge Sam Paparo in absentia? We are enormously lucky to have Sam Paparo as the Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. So, much of what we do in terms of the way in which we think about the operational footprint of the Australian Defence Force is done in…

Address to the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue: Plenary Session Three

Thank you to the IISS for convening this Dialogue, and for the opportunity to speak on cooperative maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. This is the fifth Shangri-La Dialogue I have attended as Australia’s Defence Minister — and in that time the conversations have grown more urgent. The questions…

Speech at the Defence Australia Summit, Adelaide

Australia has not been a direct participant in the conflict in the Middle East and we were not a party to its commencement. But that conflict is most definitely impacting Australia, as it is our region, as it is the world. And we very much support the strategic intent of denying Iran a deployable…

Anzac Day Dawn Service, Geelong, Victoria

Can I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respect to elders past and present.  Can I acknowledge Mark Lee, the President of the Geelong sub-branch for the RSL, Chris Couzens, the state Member for Geelong, Stretch Kontelj, the Mayor of Geelong and…

Anzac Day Dawn Service, Isurava, Papua New Guinea

Good morning. Today, in cities and towns back home and around the world, Australians are remembering the service and sacrifice of all those who have, and continue to serve our country in wars, conflicts, and peace operations. Places where Australians have served that have become ingrained in…

Address to the Lest We Forget Sunset Tribute

Can I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respect to elders past and present.  Can I thank the Australian Remembrance Foundation for holding this event, and can I acknowledge the many very distinguished guests who join us this evening. On this 111th…

Speech to the National Press Club

I would also like to acknowledge the aviators of the Australian Defence Force currently patrolling the skies of the Middle East to help protect the United Arab Emirates, including tens of thousands of Australians, from Iranian missile and drone attacks over much of the last month. Their work has…

Invictus Australia reception

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, the Ngunnawal people, and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I also extend a special welcome to the many serving and ex-serving veterans and their families who have joined us tonight in these hallowed…

Launch of the Propel: Australian Submarine Scholarship

It is really exciting to be here today to launch the Propel scholarship program. Actually, what this program, I think, really points to is the size of the industrial project which AUKUS represents – and it is the biggest industrial project in our country's history.  Obviously, AUKUS is about…

ADM 30 Under 30 Awards

I’ll begin by to acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today, the Ngunnawal people. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. I also pay my respects to all those who have served in our nation’s uniform in the past and continue to do so today. Ladies…

Australian Defence Magazine Congress 2026

INVESTMENT, INNOVATION, RESILIENCE: DEFENCE INDUSTRY DELIVERING A STRONGER, SAFER AUSTRALIA INTRODUCTION Thank you for the invitation to speak, and congratulations on this, the 23rd ADM Congress. I pay my respects to the Ngunnawal People, the traditional owners of this land where our Parliament…

Space Jobs Launch and Building Renaming Ceremony

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land, the Ngunnawal people, and pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.  I also pay my respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have served our nation in the past and continue to do so today…