Luke Gosling
Solomon · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Yesterday marked one year since the Albanese government's landmark $3.9 billion National Access to Justice Partnership 2025-30, the NAJP, commenced. It represented our government's largest investment in legal assistance.”
“I acknowledge and thank these local providers and the private sector practitioners supporting them for their professionalism, their expertise and their unwavering commitment.”
“The bill also modernises and clarifies the Defence health system framework by establishing a dedicated legislative basis for Defence health services, including clinical governance, health monitoring, quality assurance and improvement activities, enabling lawful, proportionate use of health data to improve health care, suicide prevention a…”
“Critically, the bill supports a more integrated approach across Defence, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and other portfolio agencies, including the new Veteran and Family Wellbeing Agency that was launched this morning, and the Defence and Veterans' Service Commission that began last year.”
“Purposefully, we need members of this place and senators to take their responsibility to lower anxiety and to provide proper information. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 13:03 to 13:12 We are making it so the DVA can operate better, with increased efficiency, to deliver a level of serv…”
“Our government is working at pace to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Acknowledging the national tragedy of veteran suicides, this government called for the establishment of the royal commission while we were in opposition, and we have supported the work of the royal commission since…”
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“I have spoken previously in this place about Arafura's nation-building Nolans project in the Northern Territory. It is the largest and longest live resource project in the Northern Territory ever. The Nolans project has the power to transform Australia's rare earths sector, establishing the Northern Territory as an essential processing and logistics hub through vital collaboration between government, industry and, importantly, local communities. It will open up logistics chains and develop the local businesses required to provide critical support and benefit neighbouring minerals projects in that region north of Alice Springs.”
“The Albanese government provided an $18 million capital grant to deliver 26 new aged-care beds in a purpose-built dementia-friendly unit and an age-friendly health and fitness centre, which will help transform aged-care and healthy-ageing services in the Northern Territory. Whether it be our national aged-care reform program that has now been launched, including more support for our seniors to stay at home, the new dedicated dementia-friendly unit or the $60 million for a new aged-care facility in Darwin, we are looking after our seniors.”
“The government will invest up to $60 million through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program to build this residential aged-care facility, with the objective of addressing critical supply shortages in aged care in Darwin and to relieve some of the current pressures in our hospitals. This new home will help reduce the number of older Territorians experiencing delayed discharge from our hospitals, and it will also give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders access to culturally safe care that allows them to stay close to their families in country as well as delivering services to people with complex and high-care needs. Next month a transformational expansion project for Pearl Supported Care in Fannie Bay in my electorate will open.”
“After the new act is underway, we'll continue to make sure that residential aged care is meeting the demand of an ageing Australian population and delivering truly equitable, sustainable and high-quality care. We know people want to age at home, and the new act will make sure that they can do that with dignity and quality support, but when they need extra care we'll make sure that there's a bed there when they need it. We are delivering on our government's election commitment to ensure that more older Australians in Darwin, in my electorate, can access the world-class residential aged care they deserve. Last week an expression of interest was opened to identify our delivery partner for a new residential aged-care home of at least 120 beds in greater Darwin.”
“Our government values the critical role workers play in the sector, and we want those willing to join the sector to stay, and to be able to afford to stay, to help deliver the care that older Australians deserve. Most importantly, we've improved the standard of care. In December 2023, only 54 per cent of aged-care homes had an overall star rating of four or five stars—that is, a good or an excellent level of care. Today, 79 per cent of homes do. Thanks to our reforms older Australians are now receiving more care and better quality care under our federal Labor government. We promised to lift the standard of aged care and we are delivering.”
“From bigger budgets to separate streams for home modifications and assistive technology, the new program will deliver more high-quality care to older Australians. These reforms build on the work we've done in our first term and show that we are absolutely committed to fixing the aged-care crisis and that we are committed to seeing it through. We have already mandated 24/7 registered nursing, delivering more care minutes for older Australians, and there is now a registered nurse onsite in aged care more than 99 per cent of the time, delivering more direct care for over 250,000 senior Australians in aged-care homes. That's 7.1 million additional minutes of care, every single day, compared to when those opposite were in government. We have already invested $17.7 billion towards increasing the wages of aged-care workers.”
“Over the weekend Labor's once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care kicked off. It's been a long journey to get here, working closely with older people, their families, carers and the industry to build a system that we can all be very proud of. The new act is a huge step in the transformation to deliver rights based, dignified age care for every older Australian, those senior Australians that we owe so much to. We're putting older Australians at the centre of their care and decision-making, building a high-quality, respectful and sustainable system. For the first time, the act's statement of rights makes sure that older people can make their own decisions about their own life and have their decisions not just accepted but respected.”
“For this year's CDU annual Austin Asche oration we had the wonderful Lydia Khalil as the distinguished speaker on democracy and its discontents. Her oration explored how digital polarisation, disinformation and rising extremism are reshaping democratic systems in our country. I offer my best regards to Valerie and Austin's children, Wendy and Harry, and their family and friends.”
“I welcome the announcement that the late Dr Valerie Asche AM is the first Territory woman to have a suburb named after her in her own right. Dr Asche was a respected microbiologist and researcher, publishing over 40 papers and leading significant research on Northern Territory relevant diseases. Dr Asche passed away in 2019. This suburb naming recognises and honours her legacy within science and research and in community service. Valerie's husband, the Hon. Austin Asche AC, KC, passed away earlier this year. Austin had a similar life of service and achievement, recording what they call the 'Territory trifecta' of the Administrator, the Chief Justice and the Emeritus Chancellor at Charles Darwin University. I also note that Austin was a World War II veteran who served with the RAAF.”
“In doing so, they will be strengthening the connective tissue between our parliament, the defence of Australia, the ADF and the Australian people.”
“Defence business must be conducted in an orderly, mature, methodical, multipartisan and deliberative way. The social contract between our defenders—the ADF—the defence organisation and our nation must be acknowledged. We give them the means to act. We expect there is accountability in return, and we do have a proven model on which to base this in the PJCIS. This bill to focus on defence builds upon that, with the scale of investment increasing and the stakes rising in our geostrategic time. We must ensure oversight matches the gravity of the decisions made. This reform will support our move to a biannual defence strategy and investment, and support that rhythm to help our policy settings be more adaptable and responsive. I encourage all members to support this bill.”
“In a rapidly evolving geostrategic environment, the capacity to refresh strategy and investment on that biennial, two-yearly, rhythm is vital. This committee will provide parliament with the means to engage with that two-yearly rhythmic cycle—not simply in the traditional five- or 10-year cycle, but more dynamically. This committee will deliver trust, oversight and effectiveness during that two-year rotational process. In summary, the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025 offers a considered reform, grounded in the needs of our democracy, the demands of defence oversight and the responsibility of parliament. It reaffirms the following. We balance transparency and the imperatives of secrecy and security.”
“Another key merit of this reform is that it will support the government's move to a biennial battle rhythm of national defence strategies and refreshes of the IIP, the Integrated Investment Program. The second reading speech on the 2024 bill explicitly referenced that the new committee—that is, the defence committee we're discussing—would 'complement' existing oversight by enabling this deeper scrutiny in a classified setting. By embedding the defence committee with standing functions to review defence strategies, capability development, sustainment and operations, the bill enables our defence policy settings to be more responsive, more adaptable and more aligned with a more frequent refresh cycle—that two-yearly cycle I mentioned.”
“While I have emphasised that the committee will oversee operations and strategy, it must be noted that the committee's oversight also extends to portfolio agencies like DVA, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, which will have a key role in implementing the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide; the ASA, the Australian Submarine Agency, which will lead us along the optimal pathway in delivery of nuclear powered submarines; and Defence Housing Australia, DHA, which houses our service men and women and their families, but also, due to previous legislation, our allies. This will support and enable a biennial battle rhythm and adaptable policy settings.”
“The more resources at stake, the greater the need for deliberation, transparency, methodical process and multipartisan input. Parliament cannot outsource our accountability to the executive alone. The bill recognises this by giving the new committee the function of scrutinising major capability investments, including the Integrated Investment Program, the IIP, and acquisitions. Defence decisions are often among the most consequential a government makes—the resources committed, the lives affected and the strategic risks that must necessarily be taken. This bill ensures that our oversight architecture is up to the task.”
“The increased scale and gravity of defence investment that we have at the moment demands greater oversight. We know that Australia faces increasingly complex and evolving strategic challenges. We live in an era where Australia is undertaking what our government describes as the biggest peacetime increase in defence spending in our history: $70 billion for defence capability. The scale of investment, the complexity of capability procurement and the global geostrategic environment all compel us to ensure that our oversight is commensurate with that expenditure and that investment. As one commentator stated, some of the gravest matters are the decisions to commit our service persons to conflict. As the scale of investment increases, so too must the extent and effectiveness of parliamentary oversight.”
“This committee fills a gap in the current oversight framework by enabling scrutiny of classified matters in a secure setting. That is, of course, vital, because defence oversight cannot meaningfully occur only in public, unclassified settings. Some of the most consequential decisions—capability acquisitions, strategic deployments, operational commitments—will always involve sensitive intelligence, classified data and operational detail. The bill provides for powers of the committee to obtain information and documents, to require persons to appear before it and to request briefings from heads of defence agencies, the IGADF and the Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. By aligning with the proven PJCIS model, this bill improves parliamentary capability without reinventing the wheel.”
“The committee will have the ability to inquire into matters on referral by a minister or either house of parliament as well as, importantly, more inquisitorial powers that will enable it to act on its own initiative in the form of an 'own motion' power. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence will be modelled on a proven committee. We know the model works, the PJCIS that I previously had the privilege of serving on, has demonstrated that a statutory parliamentary committee with the capacity to receive classified information, conduct secure hearings that hold the executive to account can function effectively. The explanatory memorandum explicitly states that the new committee will be 'modelled on the PJCIS,' to ensure that it can request and receive classified information and briefings.”
“It acknowledges that, while our defence forces and agencies operate in a demanding and often, importantly, secret environment, their work must nonetheless be subject to democratic legitimacy and oversight. The explanatory memorandum provides that the committee's functions will include reviewing white papers, reviews and other strategic planning documents, scrutinising capability development and sustainment, examining war or warlike operations and monitoring significant non-conflict operations domestically and overseas. By doing so the bill strengthens the link between the people's elected representatives and the guardians of Defence. Thereby it helps reinforce trust, legitimacy and that social contract.”
“In this bill, of course, we're talking about the Australian Defence Organisation and the ADF. At the heart of this reform is what I believe is the deeper principle of democracy: the social contract between our guardian and defenders and the people and nation that they defend. We entrust our defence forces and institutions and agencies with extraordinary powers: the power to use force, the power to deploy capability and the power to make decisions that may risk life, liberty and national interests. In exchange, the people and parliament must have the opportunity and the means to verify the application of those powers. This bill is a recognition of that social contract.”
“In doing so, it draws explicit model from the proven arrangements of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, PJCIS, under the Intelligence Services Act 2001. I referred to that act earlier and the strong convention of bipartisan operation within that act and within that committee. This bill stipulates that the defence committee will consist of up to 13 members, drawn from both houses, government and non-government, and the appointments will be made by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. In short, this is not a cosmetic tweak; it is significant institutional reform to embed multipartisan parliamentary oversight of Defence capability, strategy and operations. In a democracy there exists a social contract between the people and their defenders.”
“We must adopt a methodological, census based, non-partisan, deliberative process for the mature and responsible management of Defence matters. It is not enough for Defence decisions to be made in haste—do not make hasty decisions—nor behind closed doors, alone. In a democracy, prudent defence decision-making must be conducted in a deliberative, orderly and methodical way supporting multipartisanship, bipartisan confidence and sound parliamentary oversight. This bill legislates for the establishment of a joint statutory committee, the new Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence, to review, monitor and report on the administration, operations and expenditure of Defence agencies.”
“The explanatory memorandum tells us that the existing oversight and accountability mechanisms for the Defence portfolio were found to be 'inadequate in balancing accountability and transparency and national security considerations'. That was from the inquiry of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. This standing committee called for the implementation of a new joint statutory committee to request and receive classified information and briefings. Thus, our challenge now: to strike the right balance between transparency, oversight, accountability and secrecy, sensitivity, and security. This bill addresses that challenge. Our federal Labor government takes both transparency and security seriously, and we've done the work to draft legislation to achieve that balance between these two competing demands.”
“I hope that bipartisan action, which is characterised in the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security continues on into this committee on defence. In a Westminster-style democracy such as ours, one of the foundational principles is that those who wield power must also be subject to scrutiny and accountability. As the government's second reading speech on the predecessor bill noted: … parliament plays a crucial role … by scrutinising and debating the decisions by executive government and the implementation of them by departments and agencies. At the same time, the very nature of defence work demands that certain information remains protected—operational details, intelligence methods, capability vulnerabilities and the like. These cannot always be publicly aired, for good reasons.”
“I rise to speak in strong support of the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025. I do so mindful of the gravity of decisions that we entrust to our defence organisation and the Australian Defence Force, and respectful of the responsibility the parliament bears to provide both oversight and confidence on behalf of the Australian people. A democracy must balance transparency and secrecy, and it must provide information security. Some of the contributions yesterday went to the genesis or the idea of this Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence, and, of course, success has many fathers. There were many names mentioned yesterday, but I acknowledge all those who worked in a bipartisan way to get this idea of a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence to where we are today.”
“We did not have a central, national CDC to make us more prepared and to make sure that we would have the best possible response to a national pandemic. As a result, our response was clearly not as good as it could have been. This legislation and a national CDC will go a long way to ensuring that we are much more prepared for the future. That is what the people of Australia deserve.”
“The COVID-19 inquiry recommended that the CDC be underpinned by the founding principles of multiway cooperative relationships with the states and territories as well as non-government organisations; complementing and enhancing existing health and emergency governance architecture; transparency, trust and independence—as I've already covered—which is insured with this CDC; and certainty of funding for investment in world-leading data sharing and surveillance systems. I acknowledge the outstanding and ongoing work of the department of health and ageing in bringing this CDC to fruition. I commend this bill and, in closing, want to acknowledge all those health professionals, aged-care professionals, public health professionals and everyone who did their best during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were unprepared.”
“Further, the COVID-19 inquiry said that expeditiously establishing a fully operational CDC would provide Australia with a lasting legacy of the lessons learned about the central role that evidence plays in supporting a nationally cohesive and proportionate response and in supporting population trust in and engagement with those pandemic responses. Most importantly, perhaps, it will ensure oversight of national preparedness that will put us in a safer and more resilient place ahead of the next pandemic.”
“There would also be a coordinated investment in pandemic and public health leadership and training, advice to government on urgent research priority areas to provide the real-time evidence required in public health operational responses across jurisdictions and health risk assessments and scenario projections that support policy decisions. There would be living, pandemic-specific guidelines adapted for the various health professions, workplaces and high-risk settings, including aged care and disability service providers and other high risk or otherwise impacted settings.”
“We would also have an expanded One Health approach that considers the intersection between plant, animal and human biosecurity—linking departments, agencies and expertise to combat complex disease threats, including avian influenza. There would be a key contact point for international public health authorities for efficient intelligence sharing on emergency threats in health crises. There would be an increased trust in public health interventions through the timely sharing and translation of evidence on effectiveness as part of a broader public health communications strategy on risk and the balancing of risks in a public health emergency.”
“We would have rapid risk assessment of pandemic threat, disease hotspots and at-risk segments of the community. We would have the evidence to support decisions on the introduction, escalation and de-escalation of public health measures through the oversight and coordination of multi-way data sharing across jurisdictions and with Australian government and other organisations as appropriate. A permanent Australian CDC means we would have rapid linkage of datasets. We would have evidence of population and health system-level impacts of the disease—acute and longer term sequelae—and of the performance of public health interventions to inform decisions on the extent and duration of interventions and the transition out of the pandemic response.”
“Some critical gaps and lessons revealed in the health response to the pandemic can be addressed by rapidly progressing and funding the establishment of a new national authority dedicated to prevention and control. The COVID-19 inquiry report, with a permanent Australian Centre for Disease Control, CDC—in future means that we would have a centre of expertise, an authoritative voice on disease prevention and control for Australia and evidence support for decision-makers in the Australian government and jurisdictions. We would have the technical expertise—in-house and through partnerships with research and academic organisations—to support a nationally coordinated approach to the collection, analysis and synthesis of real-time evidence.”
“Data would be handled under strict safeguards—including limits on collection and sharing and de-identification wherever possible. The COVID-19 inquiry highlighted that Australia wasn't prepared for a pandemic and called for an independent CDC. That is exactly what our government is delivering by establishing a transparent, trusted and independent centre for disease control. As the COVID-19 inquiry reported, Australia went into the COVID pandemic with no playbook for a pandemic, limited readiness of the National Medical Stockpile and badly stretched, aged and healthcare systems. The COVID-19 report noted: The pandemic pushed our people, emergency response structures and communities to the limit and required rapid decision-making in times of great uncertainty.”
“It will provide high-quality analysis and advice on public health risks to governments and the Australian community—promoting and coordinating action to prepare for and respond to the risks. The Australian CDC will be led by a director-general and, subject to the passage of this legislation, will be operational from early next year. Australia's CDC advice will be based on independent assessment of available evidence. The D-G will perform its functions at an arm's length from the government and is not subject to direction from ministers or government departments. Under this legislation all collection and use of personal information by the Australian CDC would need to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 as is appropriate.”
“The establishment of the Australian CDC will ensure we are prepared and learn from the hard lessons of the pandemic to better protect the health and wellbeing of Australians. This bill will establish the Australian CDC in legislation to deliver its functions related to a broad range of public health matters, including preventing communicable disease spread, providing independent advice on public health risks, strengthening data and analytics capability and building its role as a trusted adviser to all governments on public health risks and threats. The Australian CDC functions are expected to expand in the future and will respond to emerging public health risks. The Australian CDC will bring together critical information and experts to protect Australia from diseases and other threats to public health.”
“The Australian CDC will strengthen public health capability, improve our preparedness for future pandemics and safeguard the health and wellbeing of all Australians. The Australian CDC will provide evidence based public health advice to governments, state and territory government health agencies, international agencies such as the WHO and specialist non-government health organisations. It will be an authoritative source of public health advice and information for the public and for government officials working in public health. Importantly, it will support the better use of data and provide greater transparency of advice provided to governments. This bill will establish the Australian CDC, to commence operations on 1 January 2026—next year—as an independent Commonwealth statutory agency.”
“I will be speaking about the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025. It is clear that, through this bill, we will be fixing something that was shambolic before we came to government. The Albanese government are delivering on our commitment to the Australian people to deliver a transparent, trusted and independent national centre for disease control. Before we came to government, Australia was the only OECD country without a CDC equivalent. As the COVID-19 response inquiry highlighted, Australia wasn't prepared for a pandemic. Because of the lack of planning, Australia's pandemic response to COVID was slow, confused and lacked authority. The COVID-19 inquiry called for an Australian CDC, and that is exactly what the Albanese government is delivering.”
“Almost 1,200 people in Solomon, Darwin and Palmerston have already been able to buy their first home, thanks to Labor's expanded Home Guarantee Scheme. This number will only increase now that all first home buyers are eligible. We're also addressing the labour shortage, through 175 construction trade apprentices in Solomon benefiting from the $10,000 incentive payment.”
“This is on top of the 30 per cent increase in funding to the NT government for health services in this financial year. I'm also proud that we're providing an opportunity for first home buyers to get into the market sooner, as they will need only a five per cent deposit under our scheme, while single parents will need only a two per cent deposit. Housing Australia provides a guarantee to the buyer's bank to enable the homebuyer to borrow up to 95 per cent, or 98 per cent for single parents, of the property value. That's about half of the available properties on the weekend in Darwin and Palmerston. Five per cent deposits will cut years off the time Territorians need to save for a deposit, saving them thousands in lenders mortgage insurance and rental payments, and getting homebuyers into their first home sooner.”
“The one in Palmerston has had 30,000 presentations already and is making a big difference. This tender will be open to general practices, community health centres and Aboriginal community-controlled health services, and it is open until 23 October. The Darwin Medicare urgent care clinic will be open over extended hours seven days a week, with no appointment needed, and all patients will be fully bulk-billed. The clinic will service Darwin and will help take the pressure off the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital, which will fill an important gap for Territorians and Territory families after hours and over the weekend. This follows on from the Palmerston urgent care clinic, which, as I mentioned, is really successful.”
“There's a lot happening in my electorate of Solomon—Darwin and Palmerston in the Northern Territory—when it comes to health and housing as our government delivers on its election commitments. The government released an expression of interest, an EOI, this month to identify a provider to use a $60 million grant for a new 120-bed residential care home in greater Darwin. That's more accommodation support for our senior Territorians. Getting our elders out of hospitals has been a major priority for me, providing dignity to our elders but also freeing up hospital beds at Royal Darwin Hospital and Palmerston Regional Hospital. The Albanese government is also delivering on its commitment for a Darwin Medicare urgent care clinic, with the tender processes underway to identify a provider to operate the new Medicare urgent care clinic in Darwin.”
“Private Richardson is at rest in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea. We'll also acknowledge National War Widows Day on 19 October, recognising those family members who paid the ultimate sacrifice when their loved one paid that ultimate sacrifice. Thanks to the Korean Consulate in Melbourne for providing those peace medals.”
“This coming Sunday in Darwin in my electorate, I will be attending a Legacy NT event commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Battle for Maryang San during the Korean War in 1951, where Australian, British and Canadian soldiers fought together in the United Nations command, or UN forces, supported by Kiwi artillery as well. We will present Korean Ambassador for Peace medals to the widows and families of the local veterans who served in the Korean War as an expression of appreciation from the Korean government. The local Korean War veterans are James Theodore Clark, who served with the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment; Robert McKechnie, who was in the Korean Maintenance area; Terence James Peters, who served with my old battalion, the 3rd Battalion; and James Henry Richardson, who was killed in action in Korea in 1951, aged 27.”
“Our government is providing a record number of defence contracts to Australian industry, with $55.4 billion worth of contracts awarded to the defence industry in the 2024-25 financial year, which is a 39.7 per cent increase on the previous financial year. We're working alongside industry to deliver leading-edge capabilities, including a $1.7 billion new fleet of Australian designed and built extra-large autonomous undersea vehicles—the Ghost Shark—for the Royal Australian Navy. Anduril Australia will deliver, maintain and continue developing this world-leading capability. It really is an impressive capability. Another contract, with Leidos, announced in August, will deliver an ADF counterdrone small unmanned aircraft system capability, which is also an incredibly important capability for our defence.”
“All these investments by our government improve the ADF's ability to operate from Australia's northern bases, and they are a very good start. They mean more opportunities for defence industry in northern Australia, which means more jobs in communities across the north. We're working with industry. In every year of the Albanese government, defence industry has grown in terms of its financial contribution to the Australian economy and the numbers of workers engaged. Based on the latest ABS data, in the 2023-24 financial year defence industry's contribution to the economy grew by 12.4 per cent, and the number of defence industry jobs grew by 9.1 per cent.”
“In September, we announced that, for the first time, US military aircraft will be pre-positioned in Australia under the force posture agreement, the FPA, with up to four V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft being stored and maintained in South-East Queensland and then returning to Darwin for use during the 2026 MRF-D, or Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, rotation. Future full-time basing of those aircraft in Darwin is, of course, possible, but will be dependent on appropriate infrastructure. Just last week, on 2 October, the Australian Army's new attack helicopters landed in Australia, with the delivery of the first two Apaches to RAAF Base Townsville. The Albanese government is also investing $700 million to provide infrastructure and facility upgrades at RAAF Base Townsville to support the introduction of the Apache fleet.”
“The government's investment plan will accelerate upgrades to RAAF Base Tindal, including airfield improvements to enable and enhance their refuelling operations by KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft. I visited RAAF Base Tindal recently and spent some time with the commander, and this included looking at some protective bunkers that the US has built there. Upgrades are also occurring across key training areas, including at the Robertson Barracks in Darwin in my electorate, as well as at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.”
“This approach has allowed us to continually assess our defence capability needs and to resource them. That is why we have increased defence funding to record levels and invested in northern Australia in particular. In this term, delivery is fundamental to what we must achieve, and we are laser focused on delivering the capabilities we need to keep Australians safe—including in northern Australia, where our government is investing billions of dollars in upgrading our northern bases to enhance our security. The 2024 IIP allocated $14 billion to $18 billion over the next decade to bolster Australia's northern bases. We know that all of this will be needed.”
“Our government, the Albanese government, is committed to ensuring that our Defence Force has the capabilities, the people and the funding that it needs to keep Australians safe—including in northern Australia, where I'm proud to represent the people of Darwin and Palmerston. As we know, we face the most challenging strategic circumstances since World War II. Our government has asked the hard questions about our strategic landscape through the Defence Strategic Review, which obviously recognised the importance of the north to Australia's defence and security, as it was in the Second World War and as it continues to be in our day and age. We have provided stability and continuity in the Defence portfolio. This is being implemented through the National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program, the IIP.”
“Jennifer has become the youngest female to circumnavigate Australia solo, which speaks volumes about her courage, skill and determination, so I want to really acknowledge Jennifer Hunt's incredible achievement and acknowledge also her parents, Geoff and Kylie, whose support for their daughter has been unwavering. I give thanks to Air Frontier, Darwin Flight Training and the many supporters around the country who made Jennifer's journey possible. She's made history. She's made us very proud in the Territory and around Australia, and she's shown what Territory grit and spirit can achieve. In Jennifer's own words, 'Follow your dreams.'”