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It’s been a big couple of weeks for veterans’ affairs in Australia.

Last week, the Australian Veterans’ Recognition Bill passed both houses of Parliament, with bipartisan support, officially recognising the unique nature of military service and enshrining in law a new covenant, a perpetual promise, between Australia and its armed forces’ veterans.

And this week, we mark […]

Communities in Northern Australia are struggling, the economy is growing at its slowest pace in a decade, wages are stagnant, and there is no help from the Morrison Government.

Through Senate Estimates, Labor uncovered information that confirms many of the Morrison Government’s infrastructure projects won’t start for years.

Across Northern Australia, less than a third of infrastructure funding is […]

As activities and events take place over the next week in the Top End and across Australia for Veterans Health Week, the mental health and wellbeing of veterans will be a key focus, with this year’s theme: Mental Wellness.

While each veteran’s experience is unique, veterans are at a high risk of developing depression, anxiety, and […]

Building on its long history as a forward operating base, Darwin is ready to support our future submarine operations. Though it’s commonly seen as unsuitable as a home port for submarines, that doesn’t disqualify Darwin from playing a logistic support role to resupply and maintain the boats mid-patrol and rotate out their crew.

A 2016 report by the Defence Science […]

Last week, I joined the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament Anthony Albanese and shadow foreign minister Penny Wong on a visit to Jakarta to continue discussions with Indonesian colleagues and friends on the future of our bilateral relationship.

It was far from our first working visit. In 2012, then-Minister Albanese played a key […]

The message to Canberra from the Northern Territory is clear – Prime Minister Scott Morrison must stop neglecting the Top End.

That’s the message from First Nations communities and representatives of the tourism, agriculture, business and cattle industries from Darwin to Katherine.

The Government’s Northern Australia Agenda, led by Minister Matt Canavan, has been a failure.

People across […]

As it did in the 1940s, Darwin once again finds itself in the limelight for reasons that have less to do with its natural attractions, and more to do with its strategic geography. This week saw the debate over the ownership of Darwin Port reignited by bipartisan calls to nationalise it on security grounds. At […]

I want to acknowledge the Labor leader for his contribution to this debate on the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 and related legislation, and also the member for Hunter. Hopefully we’ll hear from the member for Lingiari, my colleague from the Northern Territory, who’s had a very long history working in […]

Darwin’s location is of strategic importance. We are at the doorstep of one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors and we have the only functional deep water port on the north coast of Australia. Our location is pivotal for national security.

It is imperative that all of the Territory’s elected members cast aside partisan politics and support the […]

The Member for Solomon Luke Gosling will lead a special Regional Trade Taskforce of the Caucus to assist in the development of trade policies that will boost economic growth and create jobs for Australians.

The Taskforce will focus on trade links with the Asia-Pacific Region.

It will consult with businesses, hold industry forums and report to the […]