Television Interview, Afternoon Briefing

SUBJECTS: AUKUS; Chinese ships heading towards Australia; low-cost visas for people from PNG.

STEPHANIE BORYS: To other news today, Defence Minister, Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong, have met with their American counterparts in Washington, D.C. Top of the agenda was AUKUS. The US recently completed a review into the security partnership between Australia, the US and UK. While details of that review have not been made public, there was a very clear motto.

MARCO RUBIO: At the direction of the President, AUKUS is full steam ahead. 

FOREIGN MINISTER: We are full steam ahead. 

PETE HEGSETH: And finally, as we move, as was mentioned, full steam ahead on AUKUS. 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: President Trump has given us the motto for our meeting today, which is "full steam ahead". 

STEPHANIE BORYS: So, for more on the meeting I spoke with Defence Industry Minister, Pat Conroy. 

Minister Conroy, can you explain what "full steam ahead" means; give us a practical example of what this looks like in the real world. 

MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY MINISTER CONROY: Well, "full steam ahead" means we continue to ramp up investment and ramp up activities. Last month we had a maintenance period for the USS Vermont in HMAS Stirling in WA. That's the biggest level of maintenance ever done on non‑US soil, and that's about proving up our processes, building our industrial capability to maintain US and UK submarines ahead of Submarine Rotation Force ‑ West that starts in 2027, which is obviously a five‑year period that makes us sovereign ready, so we can receive our first Virginia‑class submarine in the early 2030s. 

We're continuing to train our submariners and our industrial workforce in the United States as well as in Australia to operate our Virginia‑class submarines and build SSN‑AUKUS in Adelaide, which will drive 20,000 high skilled well‑paid jobs, and we're continuing to work on SSN‑AUKUS with our UK colleagues as well. 

So "full steam ahead" is about continuing the optimal pathway that was announced in 2023. That will give the ADF, in particular the navy, the most advanced conventionally‑armed nuclear‑powered submarines in the world, that's all about deterring conflict in our region. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Now, the US did conduct a review into AUKUS. We haven't seen that review, it hasn't been made public, but the Defence Minister, Richard Marles, earlier today said the review looks at ways in which AUKUS can be done better. So what can be better? Can you give us just one example of where changes will be made to what the initial plan was? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, I'm not going to refer to recommendations from the Pentagon review, decisions to release those recommendations ‑‑ 

STEPHANIE BORYS: And why is that? 

MINISTER CONROY: ‑‑ Well, cause it's not my review, it's the review of the US department, the US Pentagon, and they will make that decision. 

But I'll give an example of where we've made decisions that improve delivery of AUKUS, so when Prime Minister Albanese announced with the DPM and I a $12 billion investment in the Henderson Maritime Precinct in WA, we're building large dry docks there to maintain our submarines. We said that we would make them available to US and UK submarines as well. 

So that's a practical example of changes and improvements we've made as we've got on with implementing AUKUS. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: But I appreciate it's the US, it's up to the US to decide whether the review is released or not, but from an Australian perspective, would you be comfortable with the information being released publicly? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, again, I'm not going to constrain the US Government options by offering an opinion in public, that's now how we engage with our partners. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: No, no, but I'm just simply asking would you okay if it was made public though? That's got nothing to do with telling the US what to do or what not to do. If it was made public, is that okay from an Australian point of view? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, again, you're asking me to engage in hypotheticals. They haven't made a decision either way, as far as I know, and I'm not going to engage in hypotheticals. 

What I'm focused on is delivering AUKUS, delivering the biggest ever industrial undertaking in this country that will grow 20,000 jobs as well as giving the Royal Australian Navy the most advance capability in the world. 

That's what I'm doing. Whether the US Government makes that decision is a question for them, and I'll keep my opinions to myself, or I'll express them to my US partners in private. We don't engage in megaphone diplomacy. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Okay. Well, if you can't detail, understandably, the recommendations in this report, from an Australian Government point of view though, does the Australian Government support all the recommendations within it? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, again, we're working through those recommendations right now, so I'm not going to provide a running commentary on whether we agree with them or not. We're working through it in a detailed, comprehensive, methodical way. 

But what I can say to you is that all three governments are committed to AUKUS, all three governments have put forward ideas on how to improve the delivery of AUKUS, and when all three governments make joint decisions on improvements, they'll be announced. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Just moving to another topic now. A few weeks ago, the Australian Defence Force was made aware of a number of Chinese ships heading towards Australia. An update was given last week. Can I confirm, are you still monitoring those ships, and where are they at the moment? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, again, that last part of that statement wasn't quite accurate. We have not established their final destination, so we're not in a position to provide commentary on where they will head. 

But what I can say to you is we're continuing to monitor their presence. The Chief of the Defence Force gave an update in Senate Estimates late last week where he confirmed that they were still in the Philippine Sea, and we're continuing to monitor them, as we maintain excellent maritime awareness through every area of the Indo‑Pacific that we're focused on. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: So if you are continuing to monitor them, are you able to provide an update on where those ships are currently located? 

MINISTER CONROY: The last information I had is that they were still in the Philippine Sea. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Now, China says what they're conducting ask a normal operation. Would you describe it as that? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, again, I'm not in the commentary game, but what I can say to you is that all navies, certainly our Navy does run operations, it does run exercises, and it runs long voyages at sea. We regularly have naval assets that transit through the South China Sea, for example, so having collections of ships floating around the ocean and sailing places is by definition what navies do. 

So that in itself is not out of the ordinary. We will monitor all significant naval assets in our region, not just of that particular navy, but other navies as well, and we do that just like they monitor our naval assets. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Now, the ABC has been told that Australia has briefed Pacific nations about the flotilla. What was the purpose of that? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, we regularly brief other members of the Pacific family about maritime activity in our region. That's a job we take seriously. Our security is dependent upon the security and prosperity of the Pacific Island region as a whole, and each country within that, and so we provide those regular briefings. We also provide significant support for their own maritime security through the provision of Guardian‑class patrol boats as well as ADF personnel who are often in these countries. 

So we regularly brief them. We briefed a number of Pacific countries in advance of the task group that sailed through South Pacific waters earlier this year, and so that's not out of the ordinary. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Okay. Did those briefings provide any advice or warnings; can you expand on those briefings at all? 

MINISTER CONROY: I'm going to be really boring and say I don't detail confidential discussions ‑‑ 

STEPHANIE BORYS: It was worth a shot. 

MINISTER CONROY: ‑‑ I or other parts of the Australian Government have. It's worth ‑ I don't blame you for trying, and I hope you don't blame me for not answering the question. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Well, we'll move on to another topic then, if you don't mind, an announcement within the Pacific as well. We understand that low‑cost visas for people from PNG, they're being worked through, this is all in anticipation of the Chiefs joining the NRL in 2028. What can you tell us about this new visa program? 

MINISTER CONROY: Oh, I'm so excited by the opportunities here. Bringing the PNG Chiefs into the National Rugby League will be astounding for the people‑to‑people links between our two countries, it will also be great for economic development of PNG, particularly Port Moresby, and we'll see thousands of Australians travelling up to Port Moresby to watch their teams lose to the Chiefs from 2028 onwards. 

But we also want Papua New Guineans, both the team and officials and Papua New Guinean supporters to be able to travel to Australia to watch their team play, and I think over time dominate the NRL. And so we will be announcing shortly the visa options that allow that to happen. 

So not only will we see the Chiefs travelling to Townsville to play the Cowboys, you'll see Papua New Guineans travel to go support their team, and you'll see tourist dollars going into local economies and supporting Aussie jobs, as well as supporting Papua New Guinean jobs. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: So can you give us an indication as to how these visas will work? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, they are a particular sort of tourism visa, a short‑stay tourism visa, I'm not going to get ahead of the detailed announcement that will be made by the Minister for Home Affairs. Obviously Prime Minister Marape was very keen to brief people about that, and he was on a panel early today with Peter V'landys talking about the nation‑shaping initiative that is the Papua New Guinean entry into the National Rugby League. 

But the visa is all about bringing the people of Australia and PNG even closer together. Only four kilometres separates our two nations, we're joined to the hip geographically and, quite frankly, through sharing blood in common cause like the Kokoda Track during World War II and the visa is just another brick in building that foundation. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: Just briefly before I let you go, today you've announced a program around those Ghost Bat drones. Why are they needed and what can you tell us about how the program will work? 

MINISTER CONROY: Well, they're a force multiplier, they turn a single fighter jet into a combat team. We've got a vision of having at least three uncrewed aerial platforms teaming with each crew fighter jet, and they are really world leading technology. 

We are leading the world on what's called a Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or combat drones. This is the first military combat aircraft designed and built in Australia in 50 years, and it's Aussie‑born, Aussie‑made, and I announced the $1.5 billion contract to move from prototyping testing into production, and I also announced an intention that these would enter into service with the Royal Australian Air Force. 

It will drive 440 jobs through 200 companies. We're really focused on exports, but ultimately this is about increasing the lethality of the Australian Defence Force and reducing risk to our soldiers, sailors and aviators by having these uncrewed platforms in advance of our fighter jets and teaming up with these fighter jets. 

And I also announced a successful test firing of an air‑to‑air missile from one of these Ghost Bats, and it's successfully hit its target yesterday, and this is world‑leading development, and we should be so proud of Aussie ingenuity, Aussie innovation, where we're leading the world, which will make Australia safer. 

STEPHANIE BORYS: A lot going on in your space, Minister Conroy. Thank you for your time this afternoon. 

MINISTER CONROY: Thanks Stephanie. Have a great afternoon.

ENDS