Television Interview, Sky News Afternoon Agenda

SUBJECTS: Awarding of the Victoria Cross to Private Richard Norden; Defence Recruitment; US Election; AUKUS.

HOST, CHENG LEI: Joining me now is Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh. Hi there, Matt. Thanks for joining us. You know, it's very moving that we have awarded this highest military honour to Private Norden, but there was a rather long delay in making this decision. Why?

MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL, MATT KEOGH: Well, the process has moved reasonably quickly from when George Hulse and the other veterans brought it forward to Defence in 2020. That's when they first sought a review of Private Norden's decorations. He had been decorated for his action, but not to the level of Victoria Cross. And they felt very strongly that this should be re-looked at. And I really commend them for everything they did in making sure that Defence, and then the Defence Honours and Review Tribunal looked at this matter afresh and they made a recommendation to government, which we then progressed. But because it is Australia's highest honour, it's not just a decision of government. There is engagement with the Sovereign and that can take some time as well. And so we've now arrived at, I think, where we all want to focus, which is the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Private Richard Norden for his amazing bravery during the Vietnam War.

LEI: And how do you see the challenges in Defence recruitment in this more uncertain and also more cynical world?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, I think on a day like Remembrance Day, when Australians take a moment to reflect upon the service of those who gave their lives for their country and the service of those who have signed up to wear Australia's uniform and may have suffered physical or mental injury, is that all of those people that wear Australia's uniform, whether it was 109 years ago, whether it is today, have done that out of a sense of purpose and a higher calling in the national interest. And that's what people who sign up for the Defence Force do, and that's what people who are interested in serving our country do, they sign up for our Defence Force. So, it is a time for reflection and that is the most important part of today. But we're reflecting upon the sacrifice made by people because they have a broader interest in Australia's national security, protecting our way of life. And that's what encourages people to join our Defence Force as well.

LEI: And what do you see ahead for AUKUS as well as Australia's military alliance with the U.S. given that Donald Trump seems to have a corporate vision for everything rather than ideology?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, the, the key thing I think we can say about the AUKUS project and our relationship with the United States is that that is a relationship that has stood the test of time for many, many decades. And with the AUKUS programme, we've seen that it's been supported across the aisle in the United States Congress with support for the enabling legislation, not just from the Democrats, but from Republicans of all different stripes, including those that are very close to Donald Trump as well. And when we look at what Donald Trump is asking of countries around the world, he is looking to see that countries are able to project into their own regions and to look after their national security. And ultimately, that is what the AUKUS programme is about. That's why it's supported by the United States and the United Kingdom. It's about improving Australia's national capability through nuclear propelled submarines, but also through the important pillar two work in developing technologies that don’t just assist Australia, but assist the United States and the United Kingdom as well. And so I think all of those things combined mean that there will continue to be strong support for the programme under a Trump administration.

LEI: Donald Trump also wants other countries to spend more on Defence to pay up.

MINISTER KEOGH: Look, Donald Trump's certainly been talking about that, particularly in respect of the NATO arrangements. But what he will see here in Australia under the Albanese Labor Government is that we are making considerable additional investments into Defence capability, both in terms of the platforms we operate, but also supporting our people. And that has meant that we are increasing the proportion of our Defence expenditure, or our Defence expenditure as a proportion of GDP significantly over the decade and beyond, which is quite a contrast to the situation that we had inherited from the previous government, that we are stepping up to the plate and improving and increasing our investment in our Defence to make sure that we are best prepared for the circumstances that present in our region, which we know are the most complicated set of geostrategic circumstances we've confronted since the Second World War.

LEI: Certainly. Thank you so much for your time today. Matt Keogh, Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister 

END