This letter has been sent to twenty cross-bench MPs and Senators.
Re: Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025
I am writing on behalf of Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR) to express strong concern about the legislation introduced by the Albanese government to establish a new Joint Parliamentary Defence Committee.
The proposed legislation was introduced on 8 October 2025 by the Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil, who claimed the new committee would provide “extraordinary accountability”.
Mr Khalil says the new committee would greatly enhance scrutiny and oversight of the military by providing committee members with some access to classified material.
But our organisation is very sceptical of these claims, to say the least.
In fact this new committee could actually reduce transparency and accountability.
Rather than opening up defence to scrutiny this committee looks likely to maintain the status quo by keeping military oversight in the hands of a select group of MPs from the two major parties. These MPs would be sworn to secrecy about any issues the government deems matters of national security. You cannot increase transparency while increasing secrecy. The MPs on this new statutory committee would be removed from parliamentary and public debate about defence policy, because of its secrecy provisions.
The two major parties are often in complete agreement about defence, with the exception of how much higher Australia’s defence budget should be. There is in Australia a disturbing lack of genuine debate, with establishment think tanks constantly calling for larger military spending while talking up false claims about ever present military threats.
The AUKUS debacle has shown us that when the government fails to include the Australian public in genuine debate about major projects, the result is a clear lack of support and a lack of faith in government itself. That $368 billion decision was foist upon the public without warning or consultation, yet the government now expresses surprise at declining support in the polls.
According to Daniel Flitton from the Lowy Institute the aim of the new Joint Defence Committee seems to be “co-option rather than openness”.
In an article entitled AUKUS doesn’t need protection from politics, Mr Flitton says “In defence debates, the problem is not so much politics but the lack of transparency – and that won’t be solved by setting up another committee able to hold hearings in secret”.
AWPR shares these concerns and urges you to oppose this legislation.
I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue.
Please contact me if you would like more information or would like to discuss the matter.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Bartlett
President
Australians for War Powers Reform
