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Building Partner Capacity in Iraq
The Government has decided to commence the preparation and training of a force to contribute to the international Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission in Iraq.
This decision marks the next phase of Australia’s contribution to the international coalition to disrupt, degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL, or Daesh, and follows requests for our participation from the Iraqi and United States Governments.
The Australian contribution would include around 300 ADF personnel centred on a training team. The force would also comprise a substantial force protection element along with command and support elements.
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Tropical Cyclone Marcia
Today the Commonwealth Government has announced additional assistance to the communities of Queensland suffering the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Marcia.
The Disaster Recovery Allowance is now available to eligible employees, primary producers and sole traders in the Fitzroy and Wide Bay-Burnett districts.
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Data Retention Legislation
I want to say thank you to you, Commissioner, and thank you to all of the AFP staff this morning for the briefing that you provided to the Minister and myself on metadata and its importance in fighting crime, whether it be child abuse, whether it be terrorism, whether it be fraud, drug importation. Whatever it is, metadata is vitally important – absolutely critical.
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Address to the National Press Club of Australia, Canberra
At the outset I want to let all of you know that, as you would expect, over the summer, I’ve been talking to hundreds of Australians from all walks of life – in the street, on the beach, in cafes, even at the pub; and I’ve been talking with my colleagues.
As every Australian agrees, to live here is to have won the lottery of life – because we are as free, fair and prosperous as any country on earth.
But these are testing times for our country.
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Remarks at the Australian of the Year Awards
Well it's great to be here on this perfect Canberra evening and it's an honour to be in the company of Ben Robert-Smith and so many other great Australians.
Tomorrow we will celebrate the ties that bind us, the values that sustain us and the history that has shaped us. But tonight, we usher in our national day of celebration by honouring the best in our people and the best of our people.
News
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06 March 2015 |
Transcript
I think the thoughts of millions of Australians are with those two young men who are on death island in Indonesia. I want to assure people that, even at the 11th hour, the Australian Government is doing everything we humanly can to let the Indonesian Government and people know that it would be in neither their best interests or their best values for these executions to go ahead.
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05 March 2015 |
Speech
Madam Speaker, for the world, the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is one of the great mysteries of our time. For the families and the loved ones of those on that flight, it is a harrowing nightmare. Seven who called Australia home were on board flight MH370. Rodney and Mary Burrows, Catherine and Robert Lawton, Yuan Li and Naijun Gu and Paul Weeks were mums and dads, spouses and partners, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mates and best friends; all irreplaceable to their families, friends, workplaces and communities.
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05 March 2015 |
Transcript
We are continuing to make representations. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been talking to her counterpart. I am seeking a final call to President Widodo because the Government and the people of Indonesia need to know that this is important to us. We do stand up for our values. We respect Indonesia, we honour the friendship that we have with Indonesia, but we stand up for our values and we stand up for our citizens and these are Australian citizens in extremis.
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04 March 2015 |
Media release
The Commonwealth Government will develop a new national awareness campaign focused on reducing violence against women and their children. We need to lift community understanding of the prevalence of this epidemic in our society and encourage all Australians to raise their voices to say that verbal intimidation and physical violence against women and children is never ever acceptable. Importantly, we must also ensure that any women or child who may be suffering understands that this is not acceptable and support is available.