The issues we’re dealing with at home like rising costs and extreme weather are global issues that require global efforts to solve. Australia is back at the table internationally, building the relationships in our region and beyond that are crucial to our security and prosperity.

✅Achieved

Labor is making Australia secure in the region and respected in the world at a time of global uncertainty.

For nearly a decade, Peter Dutton and the Coalition damaged Australia’s standing in our region and the world.

Labor doesn't go around our region picking fights. Our approach is to be credible and mature, dealing calmly with challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead. We have:

• Diversified Australia’s relationships and focused on our region - where our prosperity and security are most on the line.
• Made Australia a partner of choice again for the Pacific family, including by taking real action on climate change and agreeing transformative partnerships with PNG, Tuvalu, Fiji and Nauru.
• Strengthened Australia’s relationships in Southeast Asia, and grown economic opportunities through the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy.
• Continued deep and constructive relationships with traditional allies and partners like the United States, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
• Stabilised Australia’s relationship with China, restoring dialogue and trade without compromising on our national interests.
• Created new and expanded markets for Australian exporters so we are more resilient and less reliant on individual markets.
• Joined the international community in supporting peace and security in the Middle East, calling for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and protection of civilians under international law.
• Rebuilt our development program in a responsible and sustainable way after nearly a decade of cuts and neglect under Peter Dutton and the Coalition.
• Provided steadfast support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and immoral war of aggression.

Defending our nation.

We are working hard to repair and strengthen relationships to position Australia to meet growing global and regional security challenges. 

We remain fully committed to Operation Sovereign Borders.

We are responding to Australia’s challenging strategic environment by investing an extra $57.6 billion over the decade in our defence forces and capabilities, compared with the previous Coalition Government’s plan.

As a result of our historic investments in Defence:

• The Australian Defence Force is growing for the first time in almost four years, after shrinking under Peter Dutton and the Coalition.
• Australia is acquiring a next-generation submarine capability through AUKUS after nearly a decade of Coalition indecision.
• Navy’s surface combatant fleet will more than double compared to the former Coalition Government’s plan after we inherited the oldest surface combatant fleet since the Second World War.
• We are accelerating the acquisition of long-range precision munitions and new amphibious capabilities for the Army.
• Australia will commence the domestic manufacture of highly advanced missiles from 2025.
• We are investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and creating thousands of local jobs as part of our plan for continuous naval shipbuilding in South Australia and Western Australia.
• Defence’s northern bases, logistics networks and training areas are being enhanced and made more resilient.

Supporting our veterans.

Australians owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans. We are committed to delivering a better future for Defence personnel, veterans and families by ensuring they can access the services and support they need and deserve.

Thanks to significant investments by the Albanese Government, the backlog of veterans’ compensation claims that we inherited from the Coalition has been cleared. 

And we are delivering a long overdue reform to simplify and harmonise the veterans’ compensation system, a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 

We have also increased support to veterans throughout the claims process, improved access to health and mental healthcare, invested in additional Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs and delivered a Veteran Employment Program.