Report

REPORT - October 2024

List of recommendations

2.3The Subcommittee recommends the Australian Government continue providing military assistance to Ukraine while exploring additional opportunities to encourage and support Australian industry and institutions to further contribute to the support effort.

2.4The Subcommittee recommends Defence (inclusive of the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force) publish a statement on its internal policy approach to Ukraine, that is, whether it prioritises support to Ukraine, and if so, how it prioritises that support.

2.5The Subcommittee recommends the Australian Government establish a whole-of government mechanism, a ‘one-stop-shop’, potentially within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, for the coordination and liaison around Australia’s support to Ukraine.

2.6The Subcommittee recommends the Australian Government review any legislation, regulations or policies that govern decisions around the placement of diplomatic personnel in high-risk locations, to enable Australia to more flexibly assert a diplomatic presence when needed, without sacrificing personnel safety.

2.7The Subcommittee recommends that the Australian Government reopen the Australian Embassy in Ukraine, with a permanent military attaché alongside it, as soon as possible.

3.47The Subcommittee recommends Defence (inclusive of the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force) report back to the Subcommittee in six months and 12 months’ time on its progress in remediating the Defence Force Recruiting contractor shortages and any ongoing impact to Defence Force Recruiting outcomes.

6.40The Subcommittee welcomes the increasingly concerted focus by Defence (inclusive of the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force) in its examination of Australian supply chain resilience and vulnerabilities, and recommends it continues with increasing sovereign capability by:

reviewing and replacing current components sourced internationally with components produced domestically, and

increasing Australia’s future domestic sourcing of components.

6.41The Subcommittee recommends that Defence (inclusive of the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force), through the Guided Weapons Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, create a detailed reporting framework with identified goals and performance measures on critical vulnerabilities, for six monthly reviews by the Defence executive and Australian Government more broadly.

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