Richard Marles

ALP Federal

AI Summary

• Richard Marles will visit the UK and The Netherlands this week.
• In London, he will meet Defence Secretary John Healey to discuss defence partnerships.
• He will represent Australia at key meetings during the NATO Leaders’ Summit.
• Marles emphasised the importance of Australia’s relationship with NATO and the UK.
• He noted the interconnectedness of Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security.

AI Summary

• Approximately 2,600 Australians in Iran and 1,200 in Israel are seeking assisted departures, with military resources positioned to assist if airspace opens.
• Marles emphasised the threat of Iran's nuclear program and urged for de-escalation and diplomatic dialogue to prevent further conflict escalation.
• The Australian government maintains a position that balances concern over Iran's nuclear capabilities with a call for caution against military action.

AI Summary

• The Treasury Laws Amendment (More Cost of Living Relief) Bill 2025 aims to address rising living costs for Australians.
• The bill proposes various measures to provide financial relief to households struggling with expenses.
• Key stakeholders, including economic analysts and community representatives, have expressed their views on the proposed legislation.

AI Summary

• Holly Morton-Bowles questions Bianca Jones about mental health services.
• Calls for increased funding for mental health support.
• Emphasises the importance of community-based mental health programs.

During the election we made a $4 million commitment to Northshore Football and Netball Clubs to support upgrades to their facilities at Windsor Park. Spotting clubs play such a crucial role for communities, keeping people connected and giving young people a place to grow. Great to visit the club this morning and hear from their new coach and leadership team about future plans!

Last week’s catch up with Real Deal Geelong was a fantastic opportunity to talk about some of the issues we’re focussed on at a local, state and federal level to support Geelong residents - including easing cost of living pressures and support for more social housing.

Over the last few years, we have made the single biggest investment in defence spending in peacetime Australia in our history. As significant as the quantity is, so too is the priority of that spending. We have made difficult decisions to invest the capabilities we need that meet our strategic need.

Saddened to hear of the tragic passing of a Tasmanian police officer in the line of duty today. Our thoughts are with the officer’s family and community.

Australia’s defence industry is full of innovative small businesses like Applied Virtual Simulation. I had the opportunity to visit alongside Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon this week and see firsthand some of the tech that they’re developing to support the ADF’s training. Incredible to see up close, thanks for showing us around.

Yesterday I spoke at the Defending Australia Summit, outlining our priorities for the next three years. In our first term in government, we have been all about strategic clarity, increasing defence resources and reprioritising the defence spend to get a much greater quality in outcome of defence capability. As we look forward to our second term, that process of reprioritisation will continue and delivery is fundamental to what we must achieve. We need to be delivering on: - General purpo...