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The Albanese Government will invest approximately $1.4 billion to advance collaborative air capabilities, transitioning the MQ-28A Ghost Bat into a fully operational war fighting asset for the Australian Defence Force.

The Government today confirmed a major milestone: the Australian-designed and manufactured MQ-28A Ghost Bat – known as a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) – has successfully engaged an aerial target with a live weapon. In a landmark test, the Ghost Bat deployed an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile against an Australian-made Phoenix Jet Uncrewed Aerial Target.

Operating as a loyal wingman to a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Super Hornet, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat destroyed the airborne target during trials at the Woomera Test Range in South Australia.

This announcement of additional funding, coupled with the successful live-fire test, reinforces Australia’s position at the forefront of CCA technology globally. The latest investment includes new contracts with Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) for six operational Block 2 MQ-28A aircraft and the development of an enhanced Block 3 prototype.

The delivery of these additional Ghost Bats will lay the foundation for an operational Air Combat Platform capability within the Royal Australian Air Force. The Albanese Government is investing more than $10 billion on drones over the next decade, including at least $4.3 billion on uncrewed aerial systems.

Investment in uncrewed and autonomous systems is a key priority of the 2024 National Defence Strategy. Collaborative combat aircraft like the MQ-28A Ghost Bat deliver asymmetric surveillance and air combat capabilities, increasing the lethality and survivability of existing crewed platforms. 

The Ghost Bat program supports more than 440 high-skilled jobs nationwide, including roles at Boeing Defence Australia and across more than 200 Australian suppliers – 70 per cent of program expenditure is directed to Australian industry.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP:

“Australia is at the forefront of efforts to develop and field autonomous collaborative combat aircraft to provide asymmetric advantage and enhanced fighting depth for existing crewed platforms.

“This landmark demonstration proves the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a world-leading collaborative combat aircraft made and designed in Australia

“The successful weapons demonstration underlines its growing potential to deliver an operational capability for the Royal Australian Air Force.”

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

“With Ghost Bat, the future of collaborative air combat is right here, right now. Today’s announcement highlights that Australia is leading the world in the development of collaborative combat aircraft.

“The Ghost Bat transforms a single fighter jet into a formidable team—capable not only of surveillance but also of engaging adversaries. This delivers a vital layer of protection for our aviators who remain our most valuable asset.

“The MQ-28A program is also building a stronger sovereign defence industry and increasing Australia’s resilience with over 70 per cent of this investment remaining on our shores, providing high-tech, high-paying jobs for Australians.”

• Joint Statement

09 December 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on December 8 in Washington, D.C., marking 40 years of AUSMIN consultations. Building on the historic October 2025 leaders’ meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Secretaries and Ministers (the “Principals”) committed to a range of new initiatives to advance the safety, security, and prosperity of our two countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Promoting a Free and Open Indo-Pacific:

Recognising the growing threats to peace in the Indo-Pacific, the Principals committed to new joint efforts to promote regional stability and security.  The Principals also resolved to build resilience to economic coercion and to jointly promote growth in the Indo-Pacific region underpinned by a free and fair economic order.  The two countries will advance these efforts with regional partners, including through the Quad Leaders’ Summit and Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

• Australia and the United States are innovating how we deliver assistance and are enhancing coordination on strategic critical infrastructure investments in Southeast Asia and the Pacific:
  • Australia committed to working with the United States, the Philippines, and Japan to advance the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor;
  • Australia and the United States are partnering with Papua New Guinea (PNG) on digital infrastructure, with Australia already investing in the Coral Sea Cable and Digicel Pacific, and on a blueprint for reform and investment in PNG telecommunications;
  • Australia and the United States are continuing to partner with PNG on economic development in Lae, which includes Australia’s work with PNG to redevelop the Lae Port, and new planned support from the United States to bolster cargo inspection and screening infrastructure and training to enhance port security, disrupt transnational criminal activity, and spur economic development;
  • The United States committed to strengthen disaster management capabilities through the National Disaster Center in partnership with Australia as a demonstration of our continued commitment to PNG.
• The Principals committed to exploring further opportunities to support the development of trusted ICT networks across the Indo-Pacific and applauded the completion of the Vaka Submarine Cable to Tuvalu – a USD $56 million (AUD $80 million equivalent) project jointly financed by the United States and Australia, in partnership with Taiwan, New Zealand, and Japan.
• The United States and Australia intend to expand trilateral cooperation with Japan on training, and sharing data on air and missile defence threats.  They plan to also continue to cooperate on Maritime Cooperative Activities in the South China Sea with the Philippines and other partners.
• The United States and Australia are committed to increased cooperation to combat transnational crime, including with regional partners, and plan to establish a bilateral, interagency Working Group to Combat Online Scam Operations. The two sides also welcome a renewed MOU between AUSTRAC and FinCEN on sharing financial intelligence to tackle serious crime.
• The United States and Australia underscored our shared commitment to cyber coordination and capacity building in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to increase the region’s resilience to cyber threats.  Working with Congress, the U.S. Department of State plans to invest over USD $10 million, and Australia will invest up to AUD $10 million, including funding to hold another Pacific Cyber Week.

Strengthening the U.S.-Australia Alliance:

Looking forward in 2026 to the 75th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty, the Principals reaffirmed the vital importance of the U.S.-Australia Alliance and committed to deepening cooperation through accelerating and expanding joint defence initiatives, shared investments in new capabilities, and industrial base integration.

• The Principals praised the positive trajectory of both countries’ investments in defence capabilities and infrastructure as the Alliance builds out our force posture and defence industrial cooperation to respond to the demands of the Indo-Pacific strategic environment.
• In line with President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese’s direction to move “full steam ahead” on AUKUS, the Principals recognised the work underway to deliver priority infrastructure works and a workforce uplift plan in support of an enhanced trilateral submarine industrial base.
• Australia will soon deliver the next one-billion-dollar payment as scheduled to be invested in expanding U.S. submarine production capacity. This brings Australia’s contribution to the U.S. submarine industrial base to USD $2 billion so far.
• The United States and Australia advanced key priorities across an ambitious range of force posture cooperation, including:
  • Committing to progress Enhanced Air Cooperation through infrastructure works at Royal Australian Air Force Bases Tindal and Darwin to support rotations of U.S. bombers, fighters, and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, and scope infrastructure works at Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley;
  • Expanding Marine Rotational Force-Darwin capacity through logistics and infrastructure development, including the prepositioning of USMC MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft;
  • Establishing Northern and Southern nodes within the combined logistics networks in Australia; and
  • Establishing the U.S. Oversight and Support Group – Australia for the administration and coordination of U.S. force posture presence in Australia.
• The Principals re-affirmed the criticality of establishing Submarine Rotational Force-West as early as 2027, and the regular visits and maintenance of U.S. SSNs at HMAS Stirling to support Australia’s sovereign-ready efforts for its conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine program.
• The Principals endorsed a two-year shared pathway for the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise:
  • Pursuing co-production, co-sustainment and follow on development of Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile;
  • Furthering depot-level sustainment of AIM-9X and Advanced Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM);
  • Identifying cooperation on maritime strike and interceptor capabilities to be integrated into this pathway in 2026.
• The Principals welcomed the blanket Third Party Transfers authorisation for Australia and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the practical use of export control license exemptions maintained by both nations.  Both sides encouraged maximising utilisation of authorised exemptions where appropriate, including those in the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (such as those sections in 126.4 and 126.7) and Australia’s Defence Trade Control Act 2012 and associated regulations, for ongoing and future work related to the GWEO Shared Pathway.  These actions are streamlining bilateral defence trade, supporting Alliance activities, and bolstering defence industrial bases. 

Strengthening National Security through Economic Cooperation:

Building on the groundbreaking Critical Minerals Framework signed by President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese, the Principals committed to expand efforts to secure supply chains of critical minerals and to explore new initiatives to further bolster economic ties.

• The Principals agreed on the importance of swift implementation of the Critical Minerals Framework.  Following the announcement of joint investment with Japan in the project,they welcomed Alcoa’s recent progress to move expeditiously towards gallium production in 2026 to diversify a critical supply chain for the defence sector.  
• The United States and Australia agreed to deepen bilateral strategic finance cooperation, including through establishment of an Export Finance Australia (EFA) presence in Washington, D.C.
• The Principals welcomed EFA and Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) issuing coordinated Letters of Support/Interest worth a combined total of USD $600 million to Tronox to support a planned expansion of the company’s rare earth and minerals projects in Australia, which in turn will support a key critical minerals supply chain in the United States.
• Both countries committed to collaborating on reserve mechanisms for critical minerals and exploring opportunities for offtake arrangements, including for national security supply chains.
• Global Entry will be available to all Australian citizens on December 15, 2025, streamlining secure entry to the United States and strengthening our robust people-to-people links.
• The United States and Australia are exploring a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) to prevent, investigate, and disrupt customs law violations.

A parliamentary inquiry is hearing evidence today concerning the unauthorised disclosure by the Office of Director of Public Prosecutors of identifying information of a First Nations young person to 2GB.

Legal peak bodies and experts are calling for urgent reform to strengthen identity protections for children and young people in criminal proceedings.

Greens MP, solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said:

“The circumstances that have led to the identification of a First Nations child, due to an unauthorised disclosure, also known as a “leak” from the ODPP to 2GB, are incredibly confronting and indicate a problem that needs to be fixed,”

“The Minns Labor Government need to urgently progress reforms to strictly prohibit the release of identity protections for vulnerable children. The Attorney General, Michael Daley should drive these reforms in the knowledge that he has the support of the Children’s Court, the Law Society of NSW, the Aboriginal Legal Service and other expert legal minds to do so,”

“Despite laws preventing children from being identified, the public is routinely being made aware of circumstances that can be pieced together to identify a child inadvertently. This is referred to as ‘jigsaw identification’ and it particularly happens in regional areas with close-knit communities who have intimate knowledge of a child’s circumstances. It’s clear we need stronger protections in law to make absolutely clear to police and prosecutors that this trend is unacceptable,”

“The matter that was examined by the Parliamentary Committee today is proof that identity protections for children in our court system are not fit for purpose. Our laws expressly prohibit identifying children but information tending to identify children often gets out. In regional communities the publication of a child’s age, the town they live in, and the circumstances of their offence are often more than enough to piece together a child’s identity and that puts children and young people in danger and it undermines their rehabilitation prospects,”

“When we have prosecutors and police bringing charges against children, who are disproportionately First Nations, we must remember that the aim of our criminal justice system should be to rehabilitate and divert children exhibiting offensive behaviour,”

“Instead, we often see police and prosecutors failing to truly consider the potential for the information they disclose to identify children and young people, we have even seen police posting mugshots of children on Facebook. This cavalier attitude and conduct undermines our criminal justice system and we need to put an end to it, ”

“We need brighter lines for police and prosecutors when we are talking about identifying children and young people at risk,” Ms Higginson said.

The Greens stand in solidarity and compassion with the community of the Virgin Mary Mosque in Hoppers Crossing after they were targeted with Anti-Muslim vandalism on Thursday night.

Everyone should be able to practice their faith in community in peace and with respect from the wider community. But politicians like Pauline Hanson are spreading anti-muslim and anti-migrant rhetoric and emboldening people to carry out racist actions like the vandalism at Virgin Mary Mosque. 

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) has reported a terrifying increase in Anti-Muslim attacks with an increase of 1313% in reported harassment, verbal abuse, vandalism and online threats since October 2023 and 229% increase alone in the last year. 

The Greens will always stand alongside our community and ICV calls for meaningful investment in anti racism initiatives and say it starts with the full implementation of the recommendations from the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the rise of the far right. 

Victorian Greens Multicultural spokesperson, Anasina Gray-Barberio:

“All Victorians should be able to gather with their community to practice their faith in peace and with the respect from the wider community. But politicians like Pauline Hanson are emboldening social hostility against our muslim communities”.

“The vandalism at Virgin Mary Mosque is a targeted message of exclusion and intimidation on communities of faith. The Greens will continue to advocate for strengthened support for these targeted communities”.

“We can have a community where everyone is free to worship in peace with respect. But that starts with addressing the problem. Labor needs to urgently implement all of the recommendations from the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the rise of the far right ”. 

Labor has struck a serious blow to all public transport users – backing away from their commitment to free fares for concession card holders and cutting the rapid R2 and R3 bus services relied on by West Belconnen residents.

“Canberrans are understandably frustrated. Under this new plan, how are people expected to get to work, get their kids to school, or meet their daily commitments without these rapid, essential routes?”

“The impact of these decisions cannot be overstated. The frequency of the R4 is dropping affecting Tuggeranong residents, whilst residents of west Belconnen will miss their rapid services, significantly disrupting people’s lives,” said Andrew Braddock MLA, ACT Greens spokesperson for Transport.

“Labor has chosen to pull bus services from the outer suburbs, making an existing problem much worse. Buses are the answer to congestion, not the thing you cut when there are going to be more cars on the road.

“Residents in Canberra’s outer areas deserve the same level of reliable public transport as those in the inner city, but Labor continues to leave them behind.

“The Friday and Saturday night fares is a gimmick to replace election campaign fare-free Fridays gimmick.”

“Canberrans don’t want random fare-free periods that keep changing, they want convenient, reliable, and accessible public transport.”

“Rather than making public transport cheaper for concession card holders such as students and seniors, they’re subsidising travel for those who would already be going out for dinner.

“These poor decisions will encourage people off of public transport and into cars, exacerbating the very congestion the government should be trying to alleviate.”

Mr Braddock also criticised the decision to delay releasing details of the network changes until after the final parliamentary sitting day.

“Withholding this information until the end of the parliamentary year is yet another instance of Labor using process to avoid scrutiny and accountability.”

Jo Clay, ACT Greens Member for Ginninderra has sponsored a petition calling on the Government to reverse the cuts to the R2 and R3 routes to ensure West Belconnen residents maintain access to reliable, convenient public transport.

“Belconnen resident Dani Hunterford started the community petition because there are so many people who really rely on the R2 and R3. West Belconnen has very poor public and active travel connections. Cutting the few options we have is a bad decision,” Ms Clay said.

“This will only increase congestion in Belconnen. The Greens, along with the community have been calling for more buses and more drivers for decades. It’s a clear sign of poor performance when the Transport Minister is cutting services at the very moment we need them most.

The NSW Government has today announced that greyhound racing at Wentworth Park will end in 2027, with the park to be returned to the community and redeveloped into community parklands and sporting grounds. This is a huge win for greyhounds, their advocates, and the community, who have been campaigning for years to see the end of greyhound racing at Wentworth Park.

The Greens have been staunch in their advocacy to ban this cruel and inhumane industry. We will continue to fight until greyhound racing is banned across the country.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Greens and spokesperson for Animal Welfare:

“This is a big win for so many of us who have campaigned for years to shut down this death track where greyhounds are killed, maimed and injured at the altar of gambling and racing.

“This is the beginning of the end of greyhound racing in Sydney and New South Wales, with people rejecting this gambling-fuelled cruelty and their tax dollars being used to subsidise it.

“The greyhound industry comparing this death track to the SCG is just preposterous. In case they are confused, playing cricket is the polar opposite of killing greyhounds.

“The closure of one of the deadliest greyhound tracks in NSW shows that pressure works and governments can be forced to change their will against all odds.

“We will not stop here. Our campaigns for ending public funding for greyhound racing, returning tracks to public spaces and to shut down this cruelty are only gaining momentum. We will not stop until we end greyhound racing for good.”

Kobi Shetty, NSW Greens MP for Balmain:

“The decision to return Wentworth Park to our community is incredibly welcome and long overdue.

“We’ve had thousands of people engaged with this campaign over many years. Just this weekend, we had a huge community picnic to reclaim Wentworth Park. People gathered to show the NSW Government how this space should be used. And I know they’ll all be so happy to hear that the government has listened to their calls.

“Pyrmont and Ultimo are already two of the most densely populated suburbs in Australia. If the state government is looking to squeeze in even more apartments, having full access to Wentworth Park is so important to ensure our growing community has ample quality green space and sufficient facilities to cope.”

Abigail Boyd MLC, NSW Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare:

“We welcome this long overdue announcement, that kicks greyhound racing out of the heart of Sydney. Closing the deadliest greyhound racing track in NSW and returning this land to public use is a huge win for the community and everyone opposed to the cruelty of greyhound racing in NSW.

“For too long, the Wentworth Park greyhound racing track has stood as a colosseum of cruelty in the heart of Sydney, a painful symbol of cruelty and social harm. Greyhound racing has no future in NSW. First out of Sydney, and next, the state.

“It’s time for the Minns Labor government to stop pumping public money into this morally bankrupt industry and shut it down for good. The Greens are ready to work with the government to phase out this untenable industry with a transition program that will reskill industry workers, resource impacted communities, repurpose racetracks to community-owned spaces, and safely rehome all greyhounds.

“The Greens are calling on the Minns Labor government to finally release the Drake Report that they’ve been sitting on for months now. Every day they delay its release is another day Labor provides cover for an industry that has well and truly lost its social licence.”

Reports in yesterday’s Australian Financial Review that Airservices Australia is exploring partial privatisation should be thoroughly put to bed by the Minister, say the Greens.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Greens spokesperson for Transport, Infrastructure and Sustainable Cities:

“Decisions in the 90s to privatise valuable public assets like the Commonwealth Bank, CSL and Qantas have been a disaster for Australians.

“The Minister must categorically rule out privatising parts of Airservices.

“The services that Airservices oversees – air traffic control and firefighting – are an absolutely critical part of aviation safety. They cannot be compromised in any way by making the profit motive a factor in decision making.

“What we will see under this proposal is private companies taking control of these critical assets, and cutting corners on repairs and upgrades to save them money at the expense of the safety of the industry.

“Airservices already relies too much on revenue from the private sector which compromises their impartiality. 

“It’s a bad deal for Australians, not only compromising safety by introducing a profit-driven “partner” for these critical services, but also hitting taxpayers who would be leasing them back anyway, costing us all in the long run.”

UN inspectors have again been blocked from visiting Australian detention centres, leaving Australia as the only nation on earth that has refused access.

The CLP government in Northern Territory has refused the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention inspectors access to NT detention facilities again despite Federal Government assurances that all states and territories would cooperate.

This is the second failed attempt by UN inspectors to access prisons and watchhouses in Australia to check for torture-like conditions with the previous visit embarrassingly aborted in 2022 after they were denied full access in NSW and Queensland.

After the failed visit by the torture inspectors in 2022 we asked in November that year what the federal Labor government had done to ensure access to all states and territories – at that stage they assured us they had written letters to all jurisdictions. 

We have continued to follow this up multiple times since including in Senate Estimates. As recently as November 2025 Labor assured us:

 “The Australian Government continues to work with states and territories to support the implementation of Australia’s obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT)… (and) the Commonwealth continues to engage in a constructive dialogue with the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture to support Australia’s OPCAT implementation”. 

They appear to have dropped the ball on this visit however. 

Greens Senator and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge: 

“The Federal Government promised in November 2022 they had written to all jurisdictions to ensure access to UN inspectors. Three years later, those promises ring hollow.

“As recently as November 2025, the Commonwealth assured us they were working with states and territories and engaging in “constructive dialogue” with the UN. Whatever the Federal Labor government has done has not worked, and the inspectors have again been denied entry.

“Three years of letters, meetings, and “constructive dialogue” have produced nothing but broken promises and blocked access. This is a failure of national leadership.

“The NT Ombudsman’s recent report exposed appalling conditions in the territory’s detention facilities that would clearly raise the interest of the UN inspectors. 

“We know why the NT government won’t let UN inspectors in, but why is the Federal Government again providing them political cover? 

“The Commonwealth funds 80% of the Northern Territory government budget, including its brutal jails. If they’re funding it, they should demand to open it. If they won’t they should cut off funding to these torture factories. 

“You can’t bankroll a system and then claim you have no power to demand accountability.

“This isn’t just a failure of transparency like we see time and again under this Government, it’s also a failure to uphold Australia’s international human rights obligations under international laws. 

Kat McNamara, NT MLA: 

“We know that the CLP Government is attempting to hide the ongoing human rights abuses that are occurring in NT prisons, this secrecy cannot be accepted.”

“The Minister for Corrections claimed that he welcomed the Ombudsman’s damning report into NT watch houses and yet are blocking attempts for transparency and accountability.”

“The CLP Government cannot be trusted with our prison systems, they have repeatedly told the public that they do not care about the rights of detainees. The Federal Government must intervene now.”

“The only reason you would deny access to a UN body investigating torture and other inhumane treatment in your facilities is because you know that these human rights abuses are occurring.”