It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as our nation’s Defence Minister since the 2019 election.
I am honoured by the Prime Minister’s announcement of my appointment to the Cabinet.
On Friday 5 March 2021, I publicly apologised to Ms Brittany Higgins about the comment about her to my staff on 15 February 2021. I wish to further address the comment that I made. I did not mean it in the sense it may have been understood.
On the advice of her cardiologist, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will extend her medical leave to April 2. On Tuesday March 2 Senator Reynolds was re-assessed by her cardiologist in relation to a preexisting medical condition, which had earlier required her to take a brief period of leave.
A report in the Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins. I have never questioned Ms Higgins' account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter.
A report in The Australian attributed some remarks to me regarding the very serious allegations made by my former staff member, Ms Brittany Higgins.
Joint Statement: SENATOR THE HON MARISE PAYNE, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women, Acting Minister for Defence THE HON GREG HUNT MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care
The Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, will take a period of medical leave. This follows advice from her cardiologist relating to a pre-existing medical condition. As a precautionary measure, Minister Reynolds has this morning been admitted to a Canberra Hospital.
Reappointed Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Darren Chester says continuing to deliver and promote better outcomes for military families will remain his primary focus.
Defence Ministers of Australia and Singapore, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC and Dr Ng Eng Hen, conducted a video conference today to mark 30 years of the Singapore Armed Forces training at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, and the ratification of the Singapore-Australia Treaty on Military Training and Training Area Development in Australia
WE, the Defence Ministers of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America, met via videoconference on 10 December 2020 for the Seventh A
The Defence Ministers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom reaffirmed their nations’ continued commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), and commended the achievements over the past 49 years as the FPDA moves towards its 50th Anniversary in 2021.
The men and women who serve in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have earned our respect for keeping us safe in an ever-changing world.We ask a lot of every person who puts on the Defence uniform and the last 20 years has seen one of the highest operational tempos in our military history.
Joint statement
The Minister of Defense of Japan, Mr KISHI Nobuo, and the Australian Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds, met in Tokyo on 19 October 2020 to continue to build close bilateral defence and security ties in support of an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, secure, inclusive and prosperous.
Canada’s Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, chaired a videoconference of defence ministers from the Five Eyes nations - Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, on 15-16 October 2020. New Zealand was represented by a senior official, due to the New Zealand general election.
Joint statement: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Throughout the pandemic the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been postured to respond to requests for support from the states and territories at very short notice. From 21 March 2020, ADF planning teams were established in every state and territory to rapidly facilitate any requests for support.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds on July 28 in Washington for the 30th Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN 2020).
Most Australians would be unaware of how much we rely on space technology to power our everyday lives.
Joint statement
I have spoken with French Minister of the Armed Services, Florence Parly, via videoconference to discuss the progress of the Future Submarine Program, as well as Australia’s 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plan.
Defence ministers from Australia, New Zealand, France, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Chile and Tonga met via videoconference for a virtual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting on 07 July 2020.
Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds, Japanese Minister of Defense KONO Taro, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper convened a virtual trilateral defense ministerial meeting on July 7 (Washington).
The defence ministers from the Five Eyes nations (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) met via videoconference on 22-23 June.
Joint statement Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Peter Dutton MP Protecting Australia’s economy, national security and sovereignty is the Government’s top priority.
Joint statement: Florence Parly, Minister of Defence of the French Republic We have held our first quarterly meeting to review the progress of the Future Submarine Program following our productive discussion in Munich in February 2020.
Further to my public statement issued on Monday evening following the ABC Four Corners program, Killing Field, I advise that I have today made a formal referral to the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police regarding the incident involving the alleged serious criminal conduct of so-called Soldier C.
I am deeply disturbed by what has been aired in tonight’s Four Corners report. I have been steadfast in my support for the IGADF Inquiry which is investigating allegations about the conduct of Australia’s Special Forces in Afghanistan over the period 2005 to 2016.
