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Opening Remarks Sod Turning Ceremony - 17th Construction Squadron Relocation  RAAF Base Amberley 10 December 2015 Well thanks very much everybody. It’s an honour to be here today and back at Amberley for the second time in under a month. To Group Captain Kimber and Group Captain Browning, thank you very much. And thank you to Colonel Smith for coming up from Canberra today – it’s good that you are here today, along with our engineering partners.

FROM 7-12 November 2019, Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel, Darren Chester visited the Middle East region and Cyprus to meet with Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and advance Australia’s defence engagement with key regional leaders. Mr Chester said it was a privilege to spend time with Australian troops deployed in the Middle East, and to thank them for their service. “I am immensely proud of our ADF personnel deployed to the region, whose tireless efforts contribute to the safety and security of the Middle East,” Mr Chester said.

The Turnbull Government will increase support for veterans and ADF members, including an employment initiative to support people moving from military service to civilian life.

The Government has today launched the $5 million Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme which is a significant new programme of research into the mental health and wellbeing of contemporary service personnel and veterans. Defence will contribute $1.2 million and Veterans’ Affairs will contribute $3.8 million to this Research Programme. 

Australian Defence Force servicewomen with dependant children who served in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) found their experience of deployment positive and self-validating, according to research released today by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Stuart Robert, and Assistant Minister for Defence, Darren Chester. Minister Robert said prior to the Mothers in the MEAO research, very little was known about the impact of deployment on servicewomen with dependant children.

This week marks the beginning of Australia’s most comprehensive study into the impact of contemporary military service on the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. Announcing the opening of the Transition & Wellbeing Research Programme survey, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, and Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, today said invitations to around 50,000 potential participants would be sent out from this week.

The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, today dedicated the headstones of 20 Australian soldiers on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Australian Government. Senator Ronaldson said it was an honour to attend the ceremony and acknowledge and remember the lives of the men who made such extraordinary sacrifices almost a century ago.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, has welcomed the establishment of a new academic institution aimed at developing and skilling Australia’s workforce to meet future Defence project needs.

In his first trip interstate the newly appointed Minister for Defence Industry, The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today met with key Defence related companies based in Henderson, Western Australia to discuss the opportunities for local industry to capitalise on the Government’s continuous naval shipbuilding and other programs in order to maximise job creation and economic growth.

The two companies vying to build Australia's next generation Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles have been put through their paces at a live firing exercise at the Puckapunyal Army Base in Victoria. Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, observed the live firing which saw the contenders for LAND 400 Phase 2 test their weapons. “Projects like LAND 400 Phase 2 give us the opportunity to modernise our defence capability while creating hundreds of jobs in Australia and boosting domestic manufacturing.”

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land upon which we meet, the Whadjuk Noongar people and I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging. And as the Minister for Defence Industry, 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.

A piece of Australia’s recent military history will be preserved when a CH-47D Model Chinook which saw service in Afghanistan is transferred to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra today. It is one of three D-model Chinooks that will be transferred to Australian museums with the others going to the Australian Army Flying Museum at Oakey, Queensland and the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, Victoria. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said it was important to preserve Australia’s military history.

The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today opened an Adelaide industry showcase to help local suppliers win work on the Short Range Ground Based Air Defence System. It’s one of seven events around Australia which will provide local businesses with an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and join the supply chain of Raytheon Australia, the company selected to deliver the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), and its partner KONGSBERG.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, will travel to Papua New Guinea from 31 August to 1 September 2017, to discuss Australia’s strong bilateral defence relationship and mutual interest in regional stability with the new Papua New Guinea Government. Minister Payne will meet Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister the Hon Peter O’Neill CMG MP, and newly appointed Minister for Defence, the Hon Solan Mirisim MP, in Port Moresby.

The Minister for Defence, the Hon Marise Payne, has met the US Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, in Washington DC, to reaffirm the strength of the Australia–US alliance, and to discuss opportunities to further deepen cooperation. Minister Payne said the meeting was an important opportunity to reinforce the strength of Australia–US Defence alliance. “Our alliance with the US is based upon shared values and common perceptions of regional and global developments.

The Minister for Defence, the Hon Marise Payne, and her counterpart Singapore Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Military Training And Training Area Development In Australia today. The signing took place during the visit of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his delegation to Australia. The Memorandum of Understanding delivers a framework to implement increased Singapore Armed Forces unilateral Army training in Australia.

Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Marise Payne will travel to Washington on 4-6 October to meet with United States Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and senior US Defense officials. Australia and the US share an alliance that is anchored in a deep and rich history. Minister Payne and Secretary Carter will discuss our mutual commitment to countering Daesh and US/Australian engagement in our region, and other current issues. Minister Payne said that Australia’s strong and deep alliance with the US remained at the core of our security and defence.

The Minister for Defence, the Hon Marise Payne and her counterpart Singapore Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen visited Townsville and met with local government and business leaders today. The visit to Townsville was part of the visit of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his delegation to Australia, during which Minister Payne and Minister Ng signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Military Training and Training Area Development.

JAMES MCGRATH: This afternoon was a very good meeting, listening to the stories of residents who have been impacted upon by the contamination. So it was very good for myself and the Minister of Defence to have a shared meeting with the residents to hear their concerns direct as the Government works to build a plan to address their concerns. REPORTER: What is the plan, Senator? Where to from here? JAMES MCGRATH:

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today met with US Secretary for Defense James Mattis in Washington DC.  During the meeting with Secretary Mattis, both the Minister and the Secretary reflected on the strong defence industry ties between the two countries and the desire on both sides to further deepen cooperation in this key area.

South Australia’s Supashock has partnered with Rheinmetall Defence to develop a load handling system that significantly improves efficiency and safety for the loading of containers and other items onto vehicles.  It has been designed for Rheinmetall’s logistic vehicle (HX77 8x8) and its future derivative which is being delivered for the German Army.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, will travel to India and Singapore from 16 to 19 January 2018, to promote Australia’s world-class defence capabilities for export and strengthen regional defence industry relationships. In India, the Minister will represent the Australian Government at the third annual Raisina Dialogue to discuss the region’s emerging security dynamics and will highlight Australian Defence innovation.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, spoke to businesses today at the Adelaide ‘Introduction to the Defence Market’ seminar. Today’s seminar is the final in a series of seminars delivered at 17 locations across the country by the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC), in partnership with defence industry stakeholders. The seminars have built on the Government information campaign, ‘The Workforce behind the Defence Force’, and introduced businesses to the current and forthcoming opportunities in our defence industry.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, met with the Indonesian Minister of Defence General (Rtd) Ryamizard Ryacudu and Panglima TNI, Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, will visit Japan, China and Singapore from 22-28 January 2019. In Japan Minister Pyne will meet with his counterpart, Japan’s Minister for Defense, Mr Takeshi Iwaya, and senior Ministry of Defense and Japan Self-Defense Forces officials. Minister Pyne said he was looking forward to discussing Japan’s recently revised defence guidelines and identifying future opportunities for Australia and Japan to work together to contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, will visit Jakarta on 6 June 2018 to meet with senior Indonesian leaders and address Lemhannas, Indonesia’s leading education and training institute.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne, visited the Spanish naval ship ESPS Cristobal Colon today to inspect the capabilities of the ship and receive an update on the progress of mutual training being conducted with the Royal Australian Navy. The Cristobal Colon was built by Navantia who are one of the three tenderers downselected for the Future Frigate programme. “The Cristobal Colon is a highly capable vessel and demonstrates the kind of capability that Navantia are offering in the Future Frigate project,” Minister Pyne said

  Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, visited the Kingdom of Tonga on 13 June 2018 to discuss opportunities to further strengthen Australia’s defence partnership with His Majesty’s Armed Forces (HMAF).  Minister Payne met with the Hon Semisi Lafu Kioa Sika, Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga; the Hon Lord Ma’afu, Minister of Defence and Brigadier General Lord Fielakepa; Chief of Defence Staff, HMAF.  

The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today delivered a keynote address at the 2017 International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), in Abu Dhabi highlighting the strengths of Australia’s defence industry and the cutting edge technology we sell across the globe.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today congratulated Leidos Australia on opening a new $12 million research and development co-working facility in Canberra to facilitate innovation and collaboration among industry partners. Minister Pyne said the new Leidos collaboration space will create more than 20 jobs. “The Leidos Connect collaboration space provides a networked environment that supports ICT, big data analytics, simulation, security, cyber and related capabilities which are of interest to Defence,” Minister Pyne said.