Speakers: Meghan Quinn

Transcript

Meghan Quinn

>> So thank you uh Megan Quinn secretary of the department of defense. The Department of Defense continues to deliver the government's priorities with a particular focus on reform, capability building, and our people. I wish to acknowledge the tragic death of Corporal Brendan Hannon during a training activity at Mount Bundal Bandai earlier this month and pay my respects to his family and friends. We are also thinking of the five soldiers who were injured and wish them a full and speedy recovery. This is a reminder that the men and women who serve in the Australian Defense Force may undertake dangerous activities in order to defend Australia. Their services is occurring against a backdrop of increasing global uncertainty, heightened strategic competition in the Indoacific and conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. This global context has direct implications for Australia's security and national interests. It reinforces the relevance of the 2026 National Defense Strategy and the urgency of delivering on its priorities. Importantly, international partnerships remain central to strengthening collective deterrence, regional security, and capa capability building. I'll now take the opportunity to highlight a few activities from defense since we last were before this committee. On the 1st of September 2026, we marked the 75th anniversary of the ANIs treaty, the foundation of our enduring cooperation with the United States and New Zealand. We have strengthened our partnership with Papa Newu Guinea under the Pukpuk treaty with PNG citizens now able to apply to join the ADF. The first round of applications will open on the 16th of November. The Australian Fiji partnership has been strengthened with the signing of the Vavali Union Treaty and the Ocean of Peace Alliance. We established the defense delivery group on the 1st of July and have made significant progress towards establishing the new delivery agency which will begin on the 1st of July 27. We've consolidated capability development functions for the five war fighting domains within the vice chief of the defense forces group. And we've redesigned our defense capability system to support clear accountability across capability development, delivery, and operation. The defense portfolio board has been established. This board provides strategic oversight of the entire portfolio strengthening coordination across defense, the delivery agency or the delivery group at the moment and the delivery agency once it starts the Australian submarine agency, the Australian signals directorate amongst other entities in the portfolio. The defense estate divestments process has progressed with 11 sites transferred to the department of finance and the remaining transitions being carefully managed to support our people, preserve capability and meet operational effectiveness. This week, the government introduced legislation to modernize aspects of our administration to support capability development, security, enhanced oversight, and powers to respond to threats posed by drones and other uncrrewed systems. In July, we released the updated defense industry development strategy. In August, we released the updated defense innovation science and technology strategy. We continue to translate priorities into practical outcomes such as advanced autonomous maritime systems, including ghost shark, speartooth, and the Australian developed blue bottle. We have advanced the Henderson Defense Precinct in Western Australia as a center for continuous naval ship building and sustainment with a selection of the site and boundary announced in August. The government signed an arrangement with Canada for Australia's largest ever defense export and over the radar over the horizon radar system drawing on technology developed through our Ginderly operational radar network. We continue to work diligently to support the government's response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into defense and veteran suicide and we released our respect at work policy which requires senior leaders to proactively address the risks of sexual violence and unacceptable behavior. Our updated corporate plan provides a framework to measure progress and hold ourselves accountable. Our people remain our greatest priority. The progress we are making reflects their dedication, professionalism, and commitment. I thank them for the work that they do every day in service of Australia's security and national interests. I note the discussions in various supplementary budget estimates hearings this week regarding the secretar's board's submission to the parliamentary joint committee on parliamentary standards. the inquiry into the operation and effectiveness of behavioral codes standards in the Commonwealth public service working place. I and other staff in the department were consulted and contribute to the preparation of that submission. As such, I support the views expressed in the submission. Given the terms of reference of the inquiry and the intent of the submission, the intent of the submission was to provide a perspective from official witnesses who appear before parliamentary committees. The submission is clear that the board strongly supports parliamentary accountability, transparency, and robust scrutiny. The board's concern is not robust questioning itself. The concern arrives where conduct experienced by staff may conflict with the secretary's duty as an employer to ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the health and safety of public servants while at work. As noted by the secretary of the prime minister and cabinet, the secretary has welcomed the resolution agreed by the Senate on the 9th of September 2026 regarding the broadcast and publication of proceedings. I will now hand over to the chief of the defense forces.