The Albanese Government will recommend to the Governor-General that Mr Greg Moriarty AO be Australia’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.

Mr Moriarty is uniquely experienced to take forward the Australia-US alliance. He has unsurpassed credentials across Australia’s international policy from his senior roles in the Australian Public Service, including Secretary of the Department of Defence since 2017.

Mr Moriarty has served overseas in a number of posts, including in the Headquarters of the United States Central Command in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

He was Ambassador to Indonesia from 2010-2014 and Ambassador to Iran from 2005-2008. Earlier he served in Papua New Guinea, and as Senior Negotiator of the Peace Monitoring Group on Bougainville.

In 2015, Mr Moriarty was appointed as Australia’s inaugural Counter Terrorism Coordinator in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Mr Moriarty has held senior positions in the Office of the Prime Minister, as International and National Security Adviser, and later as Chief of Staff, to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

At the Department of Defence, Mr Moriarty has overseen an historic increase in the Defence budget under the Albanese Government, as well as the implementation of the National Defence Strategy in response to the Defence Strategic Review.

He has also led the Department working with counterparts in the United States and the United Kingdom in the development and implementation of AUKUS.

We again thank the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC for his service.