Remembering Teddy Sheean and HMAS Armidale:

Shortly before 2pm on 1 December 1942, HMAS Armidale—a small Bathurst-class corvette—was attacked by around thirteen Japanese aircraft: nine bombers and three Zero fighters.After over an hour of manoeuvring in a futile effort to escape the Japanese aircraft, Armidale was struck by a torpedo—and then a bomb—and began sinking rapidly. Ordered to abandon ship, the survivors leapt into the ocean—only to be strafed by the planes.Still onboard the Armidale was eighteen-year-old Ordinary Seaman Edward “Teddy” Sheean. Seeing the plight of his mates, Sheean strapped himself to his Oerlikon 20mm canon and began to fire back at the Japanese aircraft.Although he was wounded in the back and chest, Sheean remained at his post—shooting down one bomber, damaging others, and keeping the other aircraft away from the sailors in the water.As the Armidale sunk beneath the waves, Sheean’s mates saw him—still at his post. Even after Sheean had been dragged under, they saw tracers rising from beneath the water’s surface. Of the 149 men on board at the time of the attack, only 49 survived.In 2020, after a public campaign to have his actions recognised, Sheean was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. HMAS Sheean, the fifth of the Navy’s six Collins-class submarines to enter service, is also named after Teddy and was launched in Adelaide on 1 May 1999 by his sister, Mrs Ivy Hayes.Lest we forget.Read more: www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676787 Photo credit: Navy.gov.au ... See MoreSee Less

I condemn the disgraceful actions this morning by the group of activist protestors who invaded a Melbourne hotel to harass and intimidate a group of Israelis whose loved ones have been murdered or taken hostage by the terrorist group Hamas.

The Israeli group has been in Australia sharing their horrific experiences from the 7 October massacres—raising awareness about the ongoing plight of their loved ones who are still being held hostage and seeking international support for access to the hostages by the Red Cross.I am deeply disturbed by the aggressive, hateful and anti-Semitic actions of these protestors. Australia should not allow such intimidation of families who are victims of a premeditated, murderous attack by a designated terrorist organisation which is pledged to the elimination of the Jewish people of Israel.senatorfawcett.com.au/2023/11/statement-on-actions-by-anti-semitic-protestors-in-melbourne-hotel/ ... See MoreSee Less

I joined government, industry and defence stakeholders recently at a workshop—hosted by Australian veteran-owned professional services provider Providence—to discuss the importance of critical infrastructure for Australia’s national security.

Having been a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security when it scrutinised the Security of Critical Infrastructure Bill 2018, I contributed a legislative and national security perspective on the topic, discussing some of the lessons that we can learn from cyber attacks in Australia and globally. ... See MoreSee Less

Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill 2023: Report released

Following consideration of evidence from a range of witnesses, the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade legislation committee has released its report on my private senator’s bill—the Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill 2023.The evidence that was provided to the Committee clearly showed that in spite of Defence policy, decisions are too often being made in the absence of timely and accurate risk assessment. This has had serious consequences for safety, mission capability and the effective use of tax-payer money.The Bill would establish a statutory oversight body—the Defence Capability Assurance Agency—to provide competent, timely and independent risk assessment of Defence acquisitions.Other than Defence, all witnesses supported passage of the Bill with amendment in order to improve Defence capability.Despite the evidence, however, the Government Senators have chosen to recommend that the Bill not be passed.I, along with the Coalition colleagues, found the evidence of the broad range of witnesses who had experience in Defence, academia and the private sector, compelling and, hence, support passage of the Bill. We have released a dissenting report, which can be found—alongside the Government Senator’s report—on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/Capabil... ... See MoreSee Less