Public Hearing – Defence Annual Report 2023–24: Defence subcommittee to hear from Defence personnel

TODAY (October 31), the Defence subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Department of Defence for its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2023–24.

The subcommittee will discuss the following topics with Defence:

• Uncrewed/Autonomous Systems and their integration into the Joint Force;
• Progress on the transformation to an integrated focused force;
• Australian international defence cooperation and competition.

Chair of the Defence subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "It is a good opportunity for the Defence subcommittee to hear from the Department of Defence on these matters.

"The Department of Defence often appears as a witness to Parliamentary Committees, providing a forum to scrutinise its activities and contribute to their mission in safeguarding the nation.

"The subcommittee is keen to support the Australian Defence Force as it embarks on a major transformation to meet the challenges of a changing security environment."

Further information, including the full Terms of Reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 31 October 2025
Time: 1pm–3pm (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

ends