Radio Interview, ABC Hobart

SUBJECTS: Upgrades to Anglesea Barracks, Defence spending, Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide  

RYK GODDARD [HOST]: Well, Anglesea Barracks has some new facilities that are being opened today, and the dignitaries include Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil. Hi Peter. 

PETER KHALIL [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: G'day Ryk, how are you? 

GODDARD: What's the McGee Building; who's it named after and what's it going to be doing? 

KHALIL: Well, it's very exciting, because we've invested $20.8 million in a new call centre to support the National Call Centre team for all of Defence, that's about 108,000 employees and personnel that they will be supporting and also taking inquiries from the public, and Anglesea Barracks is one of the oldest active Defence barracks in Australia, the oldest establishments in Australia, and we need to make it fit‑for‑purpose, that's why we've invested into it. It's named after Lewis McGee, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the First World War in the offensive in Belgium, Sergeant Lewis McGee, and he's a very famous Tasmanian, and Tasmanians obviously should be proud of the fact that we have this wonderful facility being invested in in Tasmania. 

GODDARD: And a bit of a tragic timeline as well. He really didn't see much action, and the bit of action he did see, he ended up leading an assault single‑handedly just with a revolver. And I understand members of his family will be there, Peter? 

KHALIL: Yeah. I'm not sure about that, Ryk, about his family members, but if people are interested in the history, he was involved in the action that took place at Broodseinde Ridge if I've got that pronunciation correct, during the First World War, during the pre‑offensive, and as you said, he single‑handedly captured and enemy machine gun position on his own. And he led a bombing party to capture a second enemy machine gun post as well, and he was killed a week later near Passchendaele. So he was a very brave person, and you know, he's been honoured with having this particular Defence establishment named in his honour. 

GODDARD: Peter, the Defence budget in terms of the spend in Tasmania is a pretty small percentage. Where are opportunities for more of that Defence budget to be shared around the country? 

KHALIL: Well, I think, you know, apart from the investment we've just made into Anglesea Barracks and now the McGee Building at the Barracks, we are actually working very hard to make the entire Defence estate fit‑for‑purpose, so that's going to involve a lot of investment in infrastructure, in upgrades, and you know, there are obviously facilities in Tasmania that are part of that; there are facilities around the country. The main purpose of what we're trying to do here is to ensure that an estate actually is fit‑for‑purpose for the current and future capability needs of the ADF. There's a lot of great historical sites and legacy sites, but a lot of sites that are no longer operational; they need to be made fit‑for‑purpose.  And so there's a big piece of work that we're undertaking. There was an audit, an estate audit done in 2023 which we're working through now, and that will see a fair bit of, you know, change, but also investment in different parts of the estate across the country. 

GODDARD: Obviously the bigger investment is AUKUS, but we're buying these gigantically expensive submarines we won't have for ages, where other military are investing in drones, long‑distance drones, ocean drones. In a nation like Australia, is that where we should be spending money? 

KHALIL: Well, it’s interesting you say that, Ryk, because AUKUS Pillar II is all about underwater unmanned assets and capability, unmanned aerial vehicles, it's about quantum mechanics, it's about AI, it's about electronic warfare, about drones. These are sort of technology transfers that we are undertaking with our partners, the UK and the US. And yes, we are investing in that kind of capability because that is about what is necessary to make the ADF fit‑for‑purpose into the future. So there's been a massive investment in drone technology. There was just an announcement the other week about a couple of Australian manufacturers who are manufacturing drones as well. And so, yes, a lot of that is happening, and I've got to tell you, and so just the general public can understand, we, since we got into government, we have made the largest single increase in defence spending since World War II, over $50 billion over the next 10 years, and $11 billion over the next couple of years. So it's a massive enterprise. 

GODDARD: And yet, Peter Khalil, Assistant Minister for Defence, I haven't heard from anyone about my Sassafras handmade rockets being launched from the Highlands of Tasmania, which is very disappointing. In serious matters, we're hearing today about the mental health of ADF veterans both from abuse within the system, but also some people leaving the system and just not having the companionship that it gave them when it has been successful. We only have a minute before news, Assistant Minister, what's happening, what are you doing? 

KHALIL: Yeah, look, people would know there's been a Royal Commission, we’ve accepted the recommendations and are following through on delivering. Look, one suicide is one too many. There's been a slight decline in the latest figures, but that's exactly why there's so much more work to do, and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh, actually recently just spoke to Parliament to give an update about what we're doing and how we're trying to address these issues through the recommendations. The work that we're doing to address some of the issues that you mentioned are very much coming out of the Royal Commission. It's about supporting the ADF. You talked about loneliness as well and companionship. It's about the culture of the place. We're making big changes to the ADF to address these issues, because when people join the service and actually serve their country, they need every last bit of support that we can give them, and that's what we're very committed to. 

GODDARD: Good to talk to you this morning, and I hope you enjoy the opening. Everyone, of course, goes into politics to cut a ribbon or two. So Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil . Are they not giving you the scissors? 

KHALIL: No, no, I'm actually not going to be there. Senator Richard Dowling, who's a fantastic Tasmanian, he's the one that's going to have the honour of cutting the ribbon. 

GODDARD: Ah right. 

KHALIL: So Tasmanians come first, right? 

GODDARD: Absolutely, thanks very much. Assistant Minister for Defence, Peter Khalil. 

ENDS