Relationships in our region and around the world.

For nearly a decade, Australia was missing as a good partner to our neighbours and a strong leader in our region and in the world. Our inability to move forward on issues like climate change meant Australia was being left behind.

Our Government is showing that Australia is a calm, collaborative and mature country ready to deal with the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead. 

We are investing in our capability and investing in our relationships. 

Working with neighbours, Allies and friends is central to supporting stability, maintaining security and delivering jobs and new industries to Australia. Dialogue, engagement, and hard work is how we are getting results, focused as always on Australia’s interests.

We have made serious, sustained and consistent international engagement a priority and we are proud of the gains we’ve made:

• We’ve restored Australia’s standing in the Pacific, re-built Australia’s aid program in the Pacific  and helped bring the Pacific Islands Forum back together.

• We’ve signed a landmark agreement with Tuvalu on security and climate and a Bilateral Security Treaty with Papua New Guinea.

• We have stepped-up links with Southeast Asia and hosted the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, welcoming leaders from across the region.

• We are stabilising our relationship with China without compromising any core interests, which has seen trade impediments lifted on products including barley, timber, coal, and wine - meaning billions in exports have resumed.

• We have stood proudly with the people of Ukraine, providing military and humanitarian assistance in the face of Russia’s full-scale and illegal invasion.

• We’re working with the United States and the United Kingdom to deliver AUKUS.

• And we’ve reset our relationship with France as a key strategic partner.

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 deepening ties with our allies including through the Quad and AUKUS, as well as with our partners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 

And our National Defence Strategy will see Australia respond to our more challenging strategic environment, with an extra $50 billion in funding compared to the previous Government’s plan. 

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 has been eliminated. 

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’ve 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.