Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak to the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025. I do so with a deep sense of responsibility and with a conviction that this measure is essential to strengthen parliament's capacity to scrutinise, to advise and to hold to account the institutions charged with protecting our nation. Like many in this chamber, I wish for peace above all. Peace is the aspiration that guides our diplomacy and our values. Yet we must be clear eyed about the world we inhabit. Peace is most reliably preserved when a nation is prepared, when our defence forces are properly funded, when they're well trained and when they're ready to respond. That readiness depends not only on equipment and strategy but on robust parliamentary oversight that ensures capability, accountability, public trust and, indeed, public pride in the defence of our sovereignty.

In my role as chair of the defence subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I have had the privilege of visiting bases, meeting with personnel across ranks and hearing directly from those who plan and execute our defence posture. I've met exceptionally talented, brave and committed men and women, young Australians who volunteer to serve, who display professionalism and courage and who embody the Anzac spirit in a modern form. Their dedication demands that parliament do its part to scrutinise, to support and to ensure that the institutions that serve them are fit for purpose.

The nature of conflict has changed. Warfare in the 21st century is significantly a technological endeavour. The domains of space, cyber and autonomous systems are now central to strategic thinking. The conflict in Ukraine has provided a painful and costly education to militaries around the world about the interaction among tactics, industrial capacity and the rapid iteration of both hardware and software. What's happened in Ukraine has shown the value of both high-end, sophisticated systems and cheaper, flexible, expendable devices. For Australia the lesson is not to replicate another theatre's approach but to learn, adapt and build sovereign capability and capacity suited to our geography and our strategic circumstances.

Our geography matters. We are an island continent in the Asia-Pacific. Critical communication, trade and transit sea lanes lie immediately to our north. That reality drives the investments we are seeing in our northern bases, in Townsville, Darwin and key sites in Western Australia, which will serve as staging posts and first lines of deterrence. These investments are not merely about hardware and platforms; they're about people and communities. If we are to sustain a credible presence in the north, we must make it an attractive and sustainable place for defence personnel and their families. That means modern facilities, reliable infrastructure, quality education, access to health services in place, including maternity care, and community support that enables families to thrive and benefits the communities that wrap their arms around our defence personnel.

Central to our deterrence posture is the strategy of denial, ensuring that any adversary is deterred from attempting to reach our shores. The acquisition of nuclear powered submarines through the AUKUS partnership will be transformational for our nation. These platforms represent a step change in stealth, endurance and deterrent capability. They will also be a national endeavour—