February 25, 2022
Friday 25 February 2022
On Monday I will depart for the United States of America and the United Kingdom to strengthen Australia’s intelligence and security ties with our close and trusted AUKUS partners. It will be the first bipartisan Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security delegation to the United States since2018 and to the UK since 2015.
In the United States, I will meet with key Congressional committee chairs, and senior intelligence, security, and defence officials to discuss and deepen our collaboration on combatting foreign interference, strengthening cyber security, securing our critical infrastructure, and countering terrorism.
In the United Kingdom I look forward to engaging with parliamentary counterparts and intelligence and security officials to discuss our shared focus on countering emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific and beyond and sharing Australia's insights of successfully combatting foreign interference and espionage as the UK contemplates modernising their legal framework to tackle these challenges.
I look forward to renewing these key bilateral partnerships at the parliamentary level as new chairs of our respective intelligence oversight committees have been elected in each country since our previous visits. In the most uncertain geopolitical environment since the 1930s, it is critical that we ensure close coordination and collaboration with our most important security partners.
I will be joined by PJCIS Deputy Chair Senator Jenny McAllister in the UK and PJCIS member Peter Khalil MP in the US.
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Deborah Seccombe 0451 255 891
