Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program officers and senior NCOs, who help to put on so many programs for many in this building.

I do have a background in defence, but that doesn't mean I know everything about defence. I, along with the member for Page, the member for Casey and Senator Brockman, was involved in the electronic warfare and cyberwarfare program. I highly recommend it. We got to visit RAAF Edinburgh, in the member for Spence's electorate.

We've heard a lot about the Constitution this week. In section 51, the defence power includes only 'the naval and military defence' of the nation. It doesn't mention the air force. It wasn't a domain we thought we would fight in. There are now five domains that we fight in: land, sea, air—and two more—space and cyber. Australia now has a space command and a cybercommand. When you think about all the things that float, fly or drive, they're all really floating, driving or flying computers, so to have some of the best and brightest people in our uniform—and some of them in civilian organisations—acting to keep those safe and one step ahead of our adversaries is something we're all grateful for. We thank them for their service to our nation and for the cutting edge technologies that they bring in the defence of Australia.