Joint Press Conference, Parliament House

SUBJECTS: ADF Leadership Positions; Middle East Conflict; Fuel Supply; 'Every Little Bit Helps' Information Campaign; Visit to Singapore; Visit to Brunei and Malaysia

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Well, there is no greater honour than to wear our nation's uniform and serve our country in the Australian Defence Force. And today we're pleased to recommend to Her Excellency the Governor-General a number of senior command changes within the Australian Defence Force. The Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO RAN, will be appointed as Chief of the Defence Force. Vice Admiral Hammond has had a distinguished career, spanning 40 years in the Royal Australian Navy, serving in frigates and extensively in and later commanding submarines and the Australian fleet. Appointed the Chief of Navy in 2022, Vice Admiral Hammond will continue to bring valuable insight to the role of Chief of the Defence Force, including of course to Australia's acquisition of conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines through AUKUS and the delivery of the Navy's future surface combatant fleet.

Our Government extends our deepest gratitude and thanks to the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston AC RAN. Admiral Johnston will retire with the change in command in July. Admiral Johnston has served in the ADF for over 48 years in both Navy and joint appointments. As the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, he was instrumental to the design of Australia's Future Force and the subsequent ADF implementation of the 2024 National Defence Strategy. Admiral Johnston has also provided long-term leadership to ADF operations as the Chief of Joint Operations and as the CDF. He is the longest serving ADF officer at the three- and four-star ranks, and I congratulate him and thank his family for what is a tremendous achievement.

The Chief of Joint Capabilities, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle AM CSC DSM will be appointed as the new Chief of Army. Enlisting as a soldier in the Army Reserves in 1987, Lieutenant General Coyle has worked at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels and in command roles, including Head Information Warfare, Commander Forces Command, Commander Joint Task Force 633, Commander 6th Brigade, Commander Task Force Afghanistan, and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. Lieutenant General Coyle will be the first woman in our nation's history to command the Australian Army.

The Government extends our sincere appreciation to the retiring Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO DSC. Lieutenant General Stuart has served with great distinction and leadership across the army, most notably as the first Chief of Army to begin his career as a soldier. Lieutenant General Stuart has been key to preparing the Army for the changes required to the Force following the 2024 National Defence Strategy. The next Chief of Joint Capabilities will be appointed in due course.

Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley AM CSC RAN will be appointed on promotion as the Chief of Navy. Rear Admiral Buckley has served in the Oberon and Collins-class submarines, including commanding HMAS Collins and commanding the submarine force. He was the Head of Nuclear Submarine Capability at the Australian Submarine Agency before becoming Deputy Chief of Navy in January 2025. This experience places Rear Admiral Buckley in a unique position to lead the Royal Australian Navy and its people over the coming years as it continues its vital contributions to the peace, stability and safety of the Indo-Pacific region. The Government extends our sincere gratitude to Admiral Johnston and Lieutenant General Stuart and their families for their longstanding commitment to the defence of Australia, their service to our nation and their lasting contribution to the Australian Defence Force. There is indeed no higher calling than to serve in the Defence Force and all Australians owe a debt to those who protect the Australian way of life. These changes will take effect from July 2026.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, thank you, Prime Minister. I might start with thanking the two outgoing senior officers. David Johnston has served in the Australian Defence Force for 48 years. We joke with David that that means that he began his time in the defence force as a child, but in fact, that is true, because he joined up at the age of 15 when there was a program which allowed you to finish school through the Royal Australian Navy. And since then, David has had a remarkable career commanding surface combatant ships, more recently being the Chief of Joint Operations Command, and then spending six years as the Vice Chief of the Defence Force during a period in which we really rebuilt the integrated investment program and have begun the process of really reshaping the Australian Defence Force. And of course, over the last two years, has been the Chief of Defence Force. Since becoming the Minister for Defence, I have greatly benefited from the wise council and wisdom of David. He is a very good friend, and I will miss him greatly.

I would also like to acknowledge Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, the current Chief of Army, with both the Defence Strategic Review and the ensuing National Defence Strategy in 2024, and in many ways, the Defence Estate Audit, all of these have perhaps asked more of Army than any of the services. And Simon has been responsible for implementing this, and he has done a really remarkable job in the way in which he has embraced change. We are reshaping our army to becoming much more amphibious with much greater long-range strike capabilities. And Simon has very much been at the heart of that. And both Simon and David, as the Prime Minister has said, go with our very best wishes, and they should feel incredibly proud of the service that they have provided.

Today, we are really excited to be announcing that Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, who will shortly become Admiral Mark Hammond, will be the next Chief of the Defence Force. Mark is the first person who began his life as enlisted personnel, in his case an enlisted sailor, to now become the Chief of Defence Force. He has literally gone from scrubbing decks to, in July, becoming the Chief of the Defence Force. Mark has commanded submarines. He is a submariner by trade. Since 2022, he has been the Chief of Navy, and in that period has been right at the heart of the process by which we are acquiring a long-range nuclear-powered submarine capability, as well as reshaping our surface fleet, and particularly through the introduction of the general-purpose frigate. And Mark has done an incredible job as the Chief of Navy, and we are really excited about the contribution that he will make as the Chief of the Defence Force.

Rear Admiral Matt Buckley, as the Prime Minister has said, will be promoted to become Vice Admiral Matt Buckley and will become the Chief of Navy. Matt too is a submariner. He is the second submariner after Mark to be the Chief of Navy. He has commanded the HMAS Collins itself. He has been at the very beginning of the taskforce for acquiring nuclear-powered submarine capability under the banner of AUKUS and right at the beginning of the Australian Submarine Agency as its first director of nuclear submarine capability. And over the last few years, has served really well as the Deputy Chief of Navy, and we look forward to his promotion and becoming the next Chief of Navy.

And of course, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle. Susan, like Mark, began her life in the Defence Force as an enlisted soldier in 1987, graduated from Duntroon in 1992, has commanded at every rank that she has held, which is in itself a remarkable achievement, has most recently been the Chief of Joint Capability at a time where we have been expanding and changing our capability, and she was very much the standout candidate to be the next Chief of Army after General Stuart. Of course, as a result of that, her achievement means that she will be the first woman to command a service in Australian history, and it is a deeply historic moment, one that should be noted. As Susan said to me, "You cannot be what you cannot see." And Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future. I've often said that one of the real privileges of being the Minister for Defence, one of the reasons I have so much wanted to have this position is because of the privilege I get to work with the calibre of the people that I do and in Admirals Hammond and Buckley and General Coyle, we have three people who absolutely exemplify that.

VICE ADMIRAL MARK HAMMOND AO RAN, CHIEF OF NAVY: Firstly, I thank the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for their vote of trust and confidence. The responsibilities of the position are not lost on me. This is probably the most humbling moment in my career. I certainly look forward to serving with and for Australia's sailors, soldiers, and aviators as their Chief of Defence Force through the challenging times ahead. And I'd like to thank my wife, Jodi, my son, Josh, and my daughter, Jessica, for their love and support as we embark upon the next challenge. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you haven't yet announced a Defence Secretary and there's going to be quite a bit of upheaval in the Department as you move to new leadership. How soon can we expect that? And with the new Chief, what will be your first priority in the job? Will it be addressing the AUKUS situation?

PRIME MINISTER: Will be done in the same orderly way that characterises my Government.

VICE ADMIRAL HAMMOND: Thank you, Andrew. My first priority is to get a really good handover from Admiral Johnston. I've got three months left as the Chief of Navy. That'll be my focus for the next few months.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the announcement of a blockade by President Trump, what would such a blockade mean for Australia? Would it change the assessment of us being confident in having fuel supply well into May? And does it make your trips this week even more significant when it comes to engagement with those international partners?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we want to see the Strait of Hormuz opened and with freedom of navigation taking place. So, obviously, the lack of a resolution in the negotiations that took place on the weekend were disappointing. We want to see de-escalation, and we want to see those negotiations resumed. 

JOURNALIST: Is the visit more significant in this context? 

PRIME MINISTER: The trip this week will be very significant and the impacts that are happening on a day-to-day basis with announcements just reinforce the fact that we are living in very uncertain times. And when you have that, what you have to do is to act with certainty. What we are acting, with certainty, is to maximise Australia's opportunities to secure supply. 

JOURNALIST: My question is to Vice Admiral. Mark Hammond, the lessons of the war in the Middle East in recent weeks and months is that the economics of war have greatly changed. Even if Australia was to assist in a blockade or whatever Donald Trump calls it, isn't the fact that our ships wouldn't be able to defend themselves, but for multimillion dollar missiles against really cheap drones? 

VICE ADMIRAL HAMMOND: Let me start by saying that we've got 10 surface combatants right now, eight of them are at sea today. That, Navy, is as ready as it ever has been. And they are fitted with one of the most advanced radars in the world, CEA Radar, and some of the most advanced missile and point defence systems in the world. Are they capable of performing the mission? As Admiral Johnston said last week, absolutely. The question of a contribution is one for consideration by the Australian Government, should they receive a request, and there's been no such request as yet.

JOURNALIST: In April 2020, when you were in Opposition, you said Australia should have 90 days available of liquid fuel reserves. This has long been pointed out to government. What we need to do is build capacity here for refining. The Government is in breach of its obligations. Nation states need to have their own fuel capacity. It's an issue of national security. You've been in the job for four years now. Why don't we have 90 days of fuel in reserve? And why isn't our own capacity larger?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm aware of the Liberal Party drop on Saturday to the Gallery.

JOURNALIST: It is what you said though. 

PRIME MINISTER: I'm aware of the Liberal Party drop to the Gallery on Saturday. And what we have done since we came to office – we had reserves that were in the United States – one of the things that we have done is to make sure that we brought those reserves back. We did that in 2022. That has meant that we have the largest fuel reserves at the beginning of this global crisis in 15 years, because of the work that we had done. Is there more work to do? Yes, there is. That is why we continue to do it.

JOURNALIST: Back to your visit to Brunei and Malaysia. Is it a case you're seeking reaffirmation of current supply arrangements, or can we expect more?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we'll negotiate with respect and treat both the Sultan of Brunei and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with respect by not pre-empting those discussions. But we have good relationships with both countries when it comes to Brunei. They provide about 9 per cent of our diesel, but also a major supplier of fertiliser. And Malaysia provides the third largest imports to Australia. And so, we will negotiate with them in good faith. We have good relationships and I'm looking forward to the visit which I'll conduct along with Foreign Minister Wong.

JOURNALIST: The government's launched a $20 million campaign calling on Australians to use less fuel. Is this the best use of taxpayer's money?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think it's very important that we inform the public of two things. One, is the four level strategic planning that we've done through the National Cabinet. At a time where there is a lot of information flowing around, one of the things that that led to was an increase in some areas, in some markets of 1,000 per cent in demand. That explosion in demand that occurred – we've all seen footage, as I'm sure that your network has shown, of people driving up to a station, filling up jerry cans in packed utes or vans and as well filling up water tanks full of diesel, and then that being kept in a similar way to which during COVID pandemic, some people filled their garages with toilet paper. That's one thing. Filling your garage with fuel is both unwise, not helpful for the national interest, but also dangerous. We have provided that information very sensibly out there as well. And as I said in interviews this morning, the feedback from people about lots of information so that they can save fuel is a sensible thing at a time where there is a global challenge. And in some countries, such as the Philippines and Sri Lanka, they have enforced public holidays now every week. That is what is happening. What we are doing is informing the public and that is a sensible thing to do.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, thank you. I think you said this morning, as part of the consequence of your visit to Singapore, that this puts Australia to the front of the queue. How does that sound to other countries that are also struggling? You've just mentioned two, in fact.

PRIME MINISTER: We have important relationships, and we are working to secure the Australian national interest. That is what we will continue to do, and that's what we do when we engage internationally in our region. And those relationships at a time like this are very important. 

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when you talk about the impact, obviously, the war will have an impact on the Budget here in less than a month's time. Obviously, there's been reporting that there are changes being looked at, including the NDIS. Are you able to give us any indication as to what some of those fiscal changes may be?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Budget is now less than a month away, I think, in terms of dates, and we'll work through the Government’s budget processes. They’ll continue today, they'll continue next week. Obviously, the uncertainty that's there – this is having a massive global impact. This is the biggest spike in fuel prices that the world has ever seen. This obviously has implications, and the Government is dealing with that. And one of the things that it will mean is that the Budget is likely to be settled later than usual.

JOURNALIST: What's your message to tens of thousands of Australians of Lebanese background who are grieving this war, many who've lost family members and their family homes? And what's your response to their criticism that the Government's lacked a meaningful response to the humanitarian toll?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the loss of any innocent life is to be regretted, wherever it occurs, whatever the circumstances are. We have said that the ceasefire should apply to Lebanon as well. We've been very clear about that. And I feel for grieving families who've lost innocent relatives and friends, wherever that occurs. It is one of – when we say we want to see a ceasefire and an end to conflict, there are two areas. One is, we want to see – the loss of innocent life and we're very conscious of the humanitarian impact that has occurred. Secondly, as well is the global economic impact, which also has real consequences for humanitarian concerns. The conflict is having a greater impact in developing countries that require fuel for just their absolute essentials of life, is having an enormous impact, which is why we've called for consistently de-escalation and a solution going forward. 

JOURNALIST: There's a lot of interest in the community for a 25 per cent tax on LNG exports. Do you recognise that there is momentum building around that idea? And just how seriously are you considering it, if at all, as part of the Budget?

PRIME MINISTER: We'll have the Budget next month. We'll have the Budget next month.

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask for your reaction to Western Australia considering its own strategic fuel reserve? Does it start to get a bit messy? Do you concede that the national stockpile will have to increase, if not up to 90 days, increase beyond what it's up to now? And to the incoming CDF what is the biggest challenge the military faces as of today?

PRIME MINISTER: I've had very constructive discussions with Premier Roger Cook and will continue to do so. We'll work bilaterally but also, we'll work through the National Cabinet. One of the things that people want to see is for there to be national coordination and one direction going forward and that is one of the lessons of COVID. 

VICE ADMIRAL HAMMOND: I think the biggest opportunity for the Australian Defence Force going forward is to be seen as an employer of choice that values every member of the team and creates an environment where our people want to get out of bed and go to work, because of the important work that we do, how we do it and who we get to work with. I'd suggest that we've made significant progress in that regard. Our separation rates across all three services are at near record lows and have been held at that level for the last couple of years.

PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much.  

ENDS