Category: Australian News

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a teenage girl missing from the Hunter Region.

Grace Bhullar, aged 14, was last seen in Raymond Terrace, about 10pm yesterday (Monday 9 March 2026).

When she was unable to be located or contacted officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.

Family and police hold concerns for Grace’s welfare due to her age.

Grace is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 152cm tall, slim build with brown hair bleached on the sides and underneath.

She was last seen wearing black hooded jumper.

Grace is known to frequent the Raymond Terrace and surrounding areas.

The Albanese Government has taken the next step in establishing a consolidated defence precinct at Henderson to support sovereign shipbuilding and sustainment in Western Australia.

Bechtel Infrastructure Australia (Bechtel) has been appointed as the design services consultancy to undertake master planning of the defence precinct.

Bechtel will provide specialist infrastructure design advice and work with a range of stakeholders to create the plan.

In 2024, the Albanese Government announced $127 million to progress planning for the defence precinct.

Last year, the Albanese Government backed this commitment with an additional $12 billion to support the delivery phase for the long-term development of the defence precinct.

This contract is the next step in realising these investments in the west.

The defence precinct will play a vital role in securing continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment in Australia, delivering critical capabilities for the Australian Defence Force, and contributing to the support of about 10,000 direct jobs in the west over the next two decades.

The Commonwealth is working hand in glove with the West Australian Government to deliver the defence precinct.

The defence precinct will include:

• Construction facilities for the Royal Australian Army’s landing craft and Australia’s future Mogami‑class frigates following successful consolidation of the Henderson precinct;
• Support infrastructure for conventional submarines and surface combatant vessels;
• Contingency docking capabilities for Australia’s future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines; and
• Depot-level maintenance capabilities.

Planning and feasibility studies have already commenced and will continue throughout 2026.

Establishment of the defence precinct will occur over the next decade to align with defence capability needs and minimise disruption to local industry and communities.

Alongside the Albanese Government’s record investments across shipbuilding and AUKUS in the west, these commitments will support 10,000 direct jobs over the next two decades as well as providing opportunities for small and medium sized businesses across the state.

For more information visit: Henderson Defence Precinct | Business & Industry | Defence

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“Awarding this contract moves us closer to making the Henderson Defence Precinct the home of continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment, and a critical sustainment site for our future submarine capability.

“The master planning stage is an important step in shaping the defence precinct’s future capability needs and supporting a strong, sovereign industrial base.

“This contract reflects our commitment to partnering with industry to build a smarter, faster and more innovative maritime capability hub.

“Input and insights from industry and other stakeholders will lay the groundwork for defence industrial depth and long-term national resilience.”

WA Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Paul Papalia CSC MLA:

“The Cook Government welcomes the appointment of Bechtel Infrastructure Australia to complete master planning of the Henderson Defence Precinct.

“This project will support thousands of highly skilled jobs and ensure Western Australia is home to the largest naval maintenance hub in the southern hemisphere.

“The WA Government is working closely with the Albanese Government to help local industry and workers to take advantage of the enormous opportunities this investment will create.”

Australian Greens spokesperson for resources, Senator Steph Hodgins-May: 

“The last time the world saw a major conflict in 2022, the global price of gas surged to record highs. 

“Because our gas system is still rigged in favour of massive exporters, increases in the global market price are also dumped straight onto households back home.

“Australia doesn’t have a gas shortage. We have an export problem.

“We export such enormous volumes of gas that if the government had implemented a 25 per cent export tax when it was first proposed at the end of last year, Australians would already have collected billions in extra revenue.

“With prices likely to surge again due to the illegal war in the Middle East, and with a cost-of-living crisis at home, Labor must act now to cushion the blow.

“A tax on exports would help decouple Australia’s domestic market from volatile global prices.

“A 25 per cent tax is a step towards fair compensation. Gas companies have pillaged Australia’s resources for decades and now stand to make billions more in blood money from war-driven price spikes.

“These corporations salivate at the prospect of global conflict because it lets them gouge prices overseas and here at home.

“It’s Australian households and businesses who will pay the price for decisions made in boardrooms and war rooms from Washington to Canberra.

Audiences in Timor-Leste can now enjoy Australian content thanks to the Albanese Government’s PacificAus TV, increasing access to reliable news, delivering high-quality content and fostering greater engagement across the region.

PacificAus TV provides broadcasters in the Pacific and Timor-Leste with free access to Australian content – from drama and children’s programming to lifestyle, current affairs and sport.

Public broadcaster Radio e Televisão de Timor-Leste (RTTL) joins 17 free-to-air broadcasters across 11 Pacific countries already accessing Australian content through PacificAus TV.

PacificAus TV is a key initiative of the Albanese Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy, which helps to foster a vibrant and independent media sector, counter misinformation, present modern multicultural Australia, and support deeper people-to-people engagement across the region.

The first program being provided to Timor-Leste is the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, featuring the Matildas.

Sports fans will also be able to view NRL matches in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue and Timor-Leste in 2026.

Delivered by Free TV Australia, PacificAus TV receives $5.68 million per year under the Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy to expand access to Australian television programs.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong:

“The start of PacificAus TV in Timor-Leste is another step in strengthening our already close partnership.

“By expanding access to trusted news, sport and entertainment, we’re building greater connections between communities and encouraging a deeper understanding of each other.

“Supporting local broadcasters with content, training and collaboration opportunities helps strengthen a vibrant, resilient and independent media sector in Timor-Leste and across the region.”

Minister for Communications, Anika Wells:

“The launch of PacificAus TV in Timor-Leste means fans can tune in to watch some of the world’s best football talent in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

“It’s also fantastic to see live and free-to-air coverage of NRL matches now available through the initiative – providing greater access for Pacific communities who have made such a strong contribution to the game.

“The expansion of PacificAus TV to Timor-Leste means 18 free-to-air broadcasters across 12 nations now have access to quality Australian content at no cost – promoting greater understanding and connection across our region.

“We are pleased to see Free TV Australia continue to deliver this important initiative, bringing communities in our region together while fostering a diverse, resilient and trustworthy regional media landscape.”

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy:

“Timor-Leste and Australia enjoy a strong partnership and close friendship, underpinned by deep historical and cultural links. The expansion of PacificAus TV into Timor-Leste will only deepen familiarity and ties between our two nations.

“By giving people in Timor-Leste as well as Pacific Islands access to elite competitions such as the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and NRL, we are strengthening people-to-people links through sports. The more we understand and relate to each other, the more safe, stable and prosperous our region will be.”

Prime Minister Albanese has finally admitted that there were three Australians on the US nuclear submarines that sank an Iranian frigate in International waters off Sri Lanka.

The IRIS Dena, an Iranian frigate, was returning from India when a US nuclear-powered attack submarine shot a torpedo and sank the vessel off the coast of Sri Lanka in international waters. The US, and the Australian crew members, then left the crew to drown.

These actions were in breach of the Second Geneva Convention, which requires, after a maritime engagement, parties to immediately search for and collect the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked.

The Albanese Government has been lying to the Australian public about its role in the illegal US and Israeli war in Iran. Those lies have consequences and have already implicated Australia in US war crimes.

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson on Defence and Foreign Affairs, said

“This was an inevitability of AUKUS. From the start, the Greens warned the Government that AUKUS would chain us to the US military and drag us into whatever war they chose. That is what is happening now in real time.

“We know there are a minimum of 50 Australian personnel on US nuclear attack-class submarines, mostly operating in the Indo-Pacific. Albanese, after questioning from the Greens, has finally confirmed that it includes three Australian troops on the US submarine that sank the Iranian vessel.

“The Albanese Labor Government was the first in the world to back Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war in Iran. The truth is, the decision to enter this latest US war wasn’t made when the bombing began this week, it was made years ago when Labor backed in AUKUS.

“This is about a lot more than three ADF personnel on one US submarine. Australia has a host of US military bases and deployments, including Pine Gap and multiple RAAF bases open to the US military.

“For the Prime Minister, in the same breath, to admit Australian personnel were serving on the US nuclear submarine when it sank the Iranian frigate and then that Australia is not involved in the war shows how little regard he has for the intelligence of the Australian people.

“The Iranian people have suffered for decades under a brutal regime, they are now suffering under that regime as well as from Israeli and US bombs and missiles.

“The war parties, Labor, Liberal and One Nation have led us down this dangerous path, and the only way back is to end AUKUS and rethink our defence and

The Victorian Greens are thrilled to announce Sianan Healy as the candidate for Nepean in the May by-election, as she puts cost of living, housing and climate action on the top of the agenda.

As a Mornington Peninsula local and a mum, Sianan speaks to locals everyday who are raising children in our public schools, working in local health services, schools, arts and hospitality, sometimes struggling to pay bills or rent.

She says that her community deserves a strong representative who will put their needs ahead of corporate profits, fight for the issues they care about and be their progressive voice in Parliament. 

Locally, Sianan is committed to fighting for:

• Protecting green spaces and local waters from overdevelopment or drilling,
• Properly funding Rosebud Hospital
• More affordable and appropriate housing that meets community needs

Sianan works for a non-profit in women’s health and has a background in research and education in the university sector. 

Sianan says we can’t risk Liberals and One Nation who will work for their corporate donors, not their community.

The Nepean community deserves a progressive voice who will fight for them on the cost of living, housing, health and climate action. 

Greens candidate for Nepean, Sianan Healy:

“I come from a family of teachers and union members who instilled in me the value of service to the community and caring for our environment. These are the values that underpin all that I do and are my motivation for representing the Greens in Nepean.”

“Big corporations are ripping off our community and making massive profits. The Liberals and One Nation won’t stand up to big corporations when they’re funded by them. Victorians deserve better. The Greens know people want change – and we’ll fight for it.”

This week a war started in the Middle East, a war that will pause the importation of 20% of Australia’s oil supplies.

Labor has not increased our reserve oil supplies or prepared our nation for this shock since taking office four years ago.

As the Maritime Union of Australia said this week,

“Australia is an energy exporting nation. It is indefensible that we cannot guarantee our own fuel supply. Fuel sovereignty is a national responsibility. The time for half measures has passed; decisive action is required now.” 

Our oil reserves are running low, primarily because of the idiotic energy policies pushed by Labor and the Greens, and too often implemented by the Liberals, which have shut down our domestic oil refining capabilities.

The United States has been very clear for a long period of time that war with Iran was imminent.

Never once did Labor pause and reflect on their policies or increase our strategic reserves of oil.

Like a tone-deaf school prefect, Labor Minister Tanya Plibersek screeched at Barnaby Joyce on national TV this week that, and we quote, “this is a good reason to have electric vehicles”.

Those outrageous comments drove Barnaby Joyce to despair.

One Nation has long had a raft of policies that would increase our domestic supply of energy, including oil. We would protect our domestic market from shocks like this by increasing our strategic reserves and halving the tax on petrol, which Labor has raised eight times since taking office.

Labor will seek to profit from this war, whereas One Nation would give back to taxpayers and battlers. 

On May 9 the electorate of Farrer will get a chance to vote on the policies that Labor, the Greens, the Teals and the Liberals have been using to damage Australia.

This electoral test will primarily be about energy. The cost of fuel is a primary driver of inflation and increases the cost of everything.

When all is said and done, Australia can walk one of two paths. The left wants energy poverty, no manufacturing, a destroyed rural sector and citizens living in tents.

Or Australians can back a party prepared to rebuild our nation, cut red tape, stop government waste and lower taxes. Most of all we have a plan to make energy, both petrol and electricity, substantially cheaper.

It’s that simple. The Farrer by-election is the choice between One Nation’s offer of hope and better living standards, or more of the radical left’s destruction of Australia. Because remember, the Teals and the Liberal Party vote with Anthony Albanese more often than they oppose him.

The Albanese Government today finally admitted defeat and scrapped its toxic Freedom of Information bill after massive community backlash and almost unanimous opposition from all political parties except Labor.

The Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025 was justified by the Government on a series of false claims about foreign bots abusing FOI and the need for even more secrecy to “protect” government decision-making.

After close scrutiny from parliament and civil society, it was clear that Labor’s FOI “reforms” would only make the FOI system more expensive, more secretive and even slower.

No one outside of the Government supported this Bill, and this backdown from Labor is a recognition of the reality that their FOI reforms had no friends and no supporters inside or outside Parliament.

Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

“This Bill was written by a Government high on hubris with an addiction to secrecy. This Bill had no friends inside or outside of Parliament and Labor has finally recognised this.

“Labor’s attack was never about fixing FOI for the public, it was about making it harder to see what the Government was doing.

“The problem with FOIs is not that the public is getting too much information, it’s that the government is spending a million hours of bureaucrats’ time a year refusing and redacting applications.

“The claims from Labor that AI ‘bots’ were to blame for vexatious FOI claims were based on zero evidence. The threat to the public’s right to know isn’t from Russian bots, it’s from the Labor Cabinet.

“The Albanese Labor Government has been one of the most secretive Governments in Australian history. This commitment to keep the public in the dark must end with the death of this Bill.

“Now that this Bill has been withdrawn, it is time for a positive way forward in FOI reform.

“What is now needed is an open public consultation process with public submissions and real transparency that can build public confidence in positive FOI reforms.”

The NSW Government is keeping communities in the dark about plans for publicly-owned land around four major sporting stadiums. The Sporting Venues Authorities Amendment Bill 2025, which has already passed the lower house of the Parliament, would enable residential and tourist accommodation on public land near stadiums in Newcastle, Wollongong, Parramatta and Penrith.

In last week’s Budget Estimates, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said that there would not be any hotels built on the Venues NSW land surrounding WIN Stadium in Wollongong, following Dr Cohn’s questions.

But today Minister for Sport Stephen Kamper told the Budget Estimates hearing: “We’re legislating across the board for residential and hotel accommodation on all sites… We didn’t want to have any restrictions on any of our land holdings.”

Greens spokesperson for Sport and Recreation Dr Amanda Cohn asked Minister Kamper whether he would amend legislation to limit accommodation development in keeping with announced plans, for example at the site of the current car park adjacent to McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle as outlined by the Broadmeadow Place Strategy.

Dr Cohn told the hearing:

“There’s a real inconsistency between what the government is saying they’re going to do at these sites and what you’re wanting legislation to permit you to do on these sites.”

“The legislation you’ve put forward would allow development not only in that carpark but also at the showground and on the land that’s currently the hockey fields and the Knights Centre of Excellence.”

According to Dr Cohn, the NSW Government is attempting to quietly pass this legislation without community consultation or scrutiny.

“The land belongs to all of us,” Dr Cohn said.

“Venues NSW was created to manage major facilities for sport and entertainment events, not to act as a real-estate arm for the government,” Dr Cohn said.

“This bill is quietly opening the door to for-profit accommodation on public land, and it’s not consistent with the plans the government has announced for Wollongong or for Newcastle.”

1. The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, welcomed the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, to Canberra for his first official visit to Australia as Prime Minster. Leaders acknowledged the Ngunnawal people as Traditional Custodians of the lands of the meeting and recognised people and families with connection to the lands of the Australian Capital Territory and region.
2. Leaders recognised the shared values underpinning the close partnership between Australia and Canada including parliamentary democracy, multiculturalism, equality before the law and respect for our First Nations cultures, knowledge and peoples. They welcomed the 40th anniversary of the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Arrangement – a pioneering partnership that expands the reach of where our citizens can access consular support around the world and stands as a concrete demonstration of the deep trust between our two countries. They reaffirmed Australia’s and Canada’s close strategic alignment and steadfast commitment to an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, and to a world governed by rights and rules, not fear or force.
3. Leaders acknowledged the challenges facing Australia and Canada in a deteriorating geostrategic environment. They noted increasing risks for regional and global stability, as well as national economic resilience and security, posed by sharpening strategic competition. Leaders acknowledged that the close and longstanding friendship between Australia and Canada is a solid foundation for enhanced strategic collaboration as we seek to promote and protect our national interests in a complex global environment.

Advancing Economic Security and Prosperity

4. Leaders reiterated that building strong domestic economies, underpinned by fair, open and predictable global trade, is fundamental to enabling greater prosperity for both countries. They welcomed the upcoming 10th iteration of the Australia-Canada Economic Leadership Forum to be held in Vancouver in May of this year and recognised the valuable contribution of connecting business leaders between the two countries.  Leaders noted unprecedented challenges to global economic frameworks that have underpinned our common prosperity for decades. Leaders tasked their Ministers to work closely together and with others to address these challenges.
5. Leaders agreed to establish formal talks between economic portfolio Ministers at the earliest opportunity, and on a regular basis, to identify pathways and projects to deepen cooperation and advance a shared vision for prosperity, security and resilience at home and in the Indo-Pacific region.
   • Meetings of the Australian Treasurer and Canadian Minister for Finance and National Revenue, supported by senior officials, will seek to strengthen collaboration in tax and two-way investment, discuss economic security and key macroeconomic developments and work together on economic reforms to strengthen internal resilience.
   • Meetings of the Industry Ministers, supported by senior officials, will seek to enhance industrial policy and economic security cooperation.
6. Leaders committed to promoting cooperation between regulators that helps to facilitate access to safe, effective and efficient agricultural inputs, including feeds, fertilizers, crop protection products, and pest control technologies, in both jurisdictions. These arrangements of inputs would aim to leverage the environmental, health and safety assessments conducted by either country to support the authorization of products that advanced economic prosperity and food security, and bolster trade, while ensuring the protection of human and animal health and the environment.
7. Leaders committed to modernising the Australia-Canada Tax Treaty to facilitate greater investment, including joint investments, in nation-building projects in both countries. Both countries agreed to prioritise the negotiations. As two countries with large pension funds, Leaders welcomed enhanced collaboration between the financial sectors in Australia and Canada, including an MoU between IFM, Canadian Pension funds and Australian Superannuation Funds signed in Sydney on 4 March and an invitation to a senior delegation of Australian Superannuation Funds to visit Canada in 2026.
8. Leaders welcomed the signing of the new Australia-Canada Clean Energy Partnership. Through this Partnership, Australia and Canada will strengthen cooperation to unlock new two-way trade and investment opportunities across clean energy sectors, scale-up clean energy technologies, modernise electricity grids, and build secure and sustainable clean energy supply chains. This collaboration will help create jobs, drive economic growth, and reduce emissions in energy systems as both countries advance toward net-zero. The Partnership will also complement Australia and Canada’s existing cooperation on climate and energy, including through Australia’s role as COP31 President of Negotiations.
9. To protect communities from the harms and promote opportunities of artificial intelligence, Leaders welcomed enhanced collaboration between Australia’s Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute and Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute under a new MoU. This MoU will deepen information exchange on AI technologies, joint work to advance AI evaluation, measurement, and mitigation, as well as facilitate exchanges of talent between the two countries.
10. Leaders agreed that Canada and Australia will explore opportunities for enhanced regulatory cooperation and further collaboration across sectors of mutual interest. They noted the value of continued dialogue between regulatory authorities to share best practices, support alignment where appropriate, and identify areas where cooperation could help strengthen economic security and promote inclusive, sustainable growth. Leaders emphasised that this exploratory work will remain flexible and non-binding, allowing both countries to advance cooperation at a pace and scope that reflects shared priorities.
11. Leaders welcomed the renewed pandemic preparedness contract between the Public Health Agency of Canada and CSL Seqirus to deliver 15 million doses of cell-based adjuvanted influenza vaccine, from CSL’s manufacturing facility in Victoria, Australia in the event of an influenza pandemic being declared. This pandemic vaccine readiness contract will help protect Canadians against future pandemic events and demonstrates how Australian and Canadian science and health collaboration is supporting our health and economic security, supply chain resilience, and pandemic preparedness. Leaders were further pleased to welcome the MoU signed between the Business Council of Australia and the Business Council of Canada on 5 March, 2026, to facilitate greater trade and investment and facilitate meaningful business leader engagement.
12. The Leaders welcomed progress under the Australia–Canada–India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership and noted the recent meeting of the AI Ministers of the three countries on the margins of the AI Summit in New Delhi. They agreed to develop a joint workplan to advance practical trilateral cooperation in artificial intelligence and digital technologies and underscored the potential for deeper collaboration across digital infrastructure, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, high-performance computing, Internet-of-Things (IoT), cybersecurity, and startup ecosystems. The Leaders further agreed to strengthen policy and regulatory exchanges to advance AI sovereignty, inclusivity, access and trustworthiness; promote AI adoption and related business-to-business partnerships; and advance joint capacity-building through skills development, training, and knowledge-sharing, with a view to fostering trusted innovation ecosystems and delivering tangible outcomes. The Leaders welcomed the codification of this work through the signing of a trilateral Australia-Canada-India MOU on Cooperation in Technology and Innovation.

Strengthening Mutual Interests in Critical Minerals

13. Leaders noted Australia and Canada’s combined strengths as major global critical minerals producers and committed to working more purposefully in partnership to advance our mutual interests and promote thriving, dynamic global critical minerals supply chains. Leaders committed to pursuing common positions on key critical minerals issues, working together to shape emerging markets in ways that reflect our shared commitment to fair and open trade, and high environmental and labour standards. Leaders were pleased to confirm Australia had also joined the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance.
14. Leaders committed to strengthening and deepening collaboration in relation to critical minerals investments, standards and between Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve and Canada’s Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund. They welcomed the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent on Critical Minerals Cooperation in November 2025 under which Australia and Canada are working to strengthen supply chain resilience. Leaders were pleased to confirm Resources Ministers will meet annually to drive progress on areas of cooperation as outlined in the Joint Declaration of Intent.
15. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to sharing technical expertise related to mapping critical minerals deposits and improving extraction and processing capabilities, strengthening our respective domestic critical minerals sectors and enabling growth.
16. Leaders welcomed the development of a Canada-Australia Mining Skills Exchange Pilot, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and government partners across Canada and Australia, to address key skills and labour shortages and ensure allied ability to expand critical minerals production.

Deepening Defence and Security Cooperation

17. Recognising the significant security challenges of our times, and the interconnected nature of Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security, Leaders agreed to enhance defence and security cooperation, including through the establishment of a biennial Defence Ministers’ Meeting. Ministers of Defence will be supported by regular senior officials’ talks focused on identifying pathways for greater defence collaboration to uphold international peace and security by deterring threats to our shared security and intelligence interests. 
18. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment for Australia and Canada to collaborate on the development of Over-the-Horizon Radar (OTHR) technology in support of fielding an Arctic-OTHR system in Canada, bringing together Australia’s world-leading Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) technology with Canada’s expertise in operating high-frequency radar in the Arctic. Leaders were pleased to note the upcoming training of Canadian operators on the use of the radar system in Australia and welcomed concrete progress made towards finalizing a government-to-government arrangement. As part of this shared endeavour, leaders reaffirmed their intent for Australia and Canada to jointly develop advanced technology and intellectual property under our deepening strategic relationship, with long-term benefits for both of our defence industrial bases.
19. Leaders underscored the value of the long-standing Australia-Canada defence and security science, technology and innovation partnership and committed to continued cooperation to address emerging and disruptive technologies. They also recognised the need to create the conditions for more seamless defence industrial collaboration. To this end, Australia and Canada will continue exploring mutually beneficial options to facilitate collaboration on advanced military capabilities, strengthen defence trade, boost Research and Development innovation, and science and technology cooperation, noting the importance of the defence and dual-use industry to our domestic economies as both countries expand their defence capabilities. 
20. Leaders committed to seek opportunities to enhance and formalise interoperability and the conduct of combined military activities in the Indo-Pacific in support of freedom of navigation and overflight, and to deepen intelligence cooperation, including through regular exchange of personnel and enhanced training on common platforms. To support this, Ministerial talks will explore concrete mechanisms to facilitate the movement of defence personnel and equipment between our countries and remove unnecessary barriers to operational collaboration, and as such, have agreed to initiate discussions on establishing a Status of Forces Agreement.
21. Leaders acknowledged deep cooperation on border security, policing, and law enforcement, including efforts to combat illicit trafficking and transnational crime while facilitating the secure movement of legitimate trade and travel, and welcomed the entry into force in 2026 of the Canada-Australia Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement.
22. Leaders also agreed to continue cooperation on countering emerging threats such as foreign information manipulation and other forms of foreign interference, bilaterally and multilaterally through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism. These efforts will allow Australia and Canada to place their collective weight towards regional stability.

Strengthening Institutions, Building Resilient Communities

23. Acknowledging the contributions of Canadian and Australian firefighters to both countries, Leaders discussed efforts to strengthen disaster resilience and preparedness and welcomed the Joint Declaration of Intent between Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Public Safety Canada which elevates the existing MoU on emergency management and disaster risk reduction and enables opportunity for cooperation on training and development, information exchanges, and collaboration on research and innovation.
24. Leaders agreed to advance civil space cooperation, building on the existing MoU between the Canadian Space Agency and the Australian Space Agency, including collaborating on Earth observation missions, which will support bush and wildfire monitoring internationally through satellite imaging and data sharing.
25. Leaders agreed to reinvigorate the Canada-Australia Public Policy Initiative to foster exchanges between senior officials on priority policy issues, including government modernisation and social cohesion, online harm, and trust in democratic institutions.
26. Leaders welcomed collaboration on shared polar science priorities, including in climate systems, biodiversity, human impacts and coordination in environment monitoring. Enhanced annual senior officials’ engagement will advance cooperation on strategic issues in the polar regions.