Defence Committee launches two inquiries

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has commenced two inquiries into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25 and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25.

One of the committee’s core functions is to review the administration and expenditure of Australian defence agencies, including their annual reports.

Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "Robust parliamentary oversight ensures capability, accountability, and public trust in Australia’s defence agencies. The commencement of these two annual report inquiries signifies the start of the Committee’s important oversight work."

Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for its inquiry into the Defence annual report:

• Uplift of Sovereign Defence industry;

• AUKUS Pillar I and Pillar II;

• Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems;

• Supersonic and hypersonic propulsion systems and related testing infrastructure.

The committee requests submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 14.

Inquiry into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for the inquiry Veterans’ Affairs annual report inquiry:

• Departmental claims handling processes, outcomes and performance;

• Progress on implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide;

• Legislative harmonisation in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio;

• Establishment and operations of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission;

The committee has requested submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 28.

More information, including the terms of reference and details on how to make a submission, can be found on the Committee’s website.

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