About David
David served in the Australian Defence Force for over 22 years. An Army pilot, he flew helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and was the Senior Flying Instructor at the School of Army Aviation in Queensland.
Graduating as an experimental test pilot from the Empire Test Pilots’ School (UK), he finished his full time career in Defence as the Commanding Officer of the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit.
Elected to the House of Representatives as the Member for Wakefield (SA) in 2004, he served in the Parliament until 2007. David continued to fly as a test pilot and ran a small business working in the Defence and Aviation sectors prior to being elected to the Senate in 2010, 2016 and again in 2019.
In the (45th) Parliament, David was sworn as the Assistant Minister for Defence.
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This week, I met with representatives from South Australian defence industry and Defence at the SA Aerospace and Information Warfare Forum (AIWF) held in the Adelaide Convention Centre.![]()
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The AIWF is an industry exhibition of 50+ defence primes and SMEs, youth and engineering associations, plus government and academia – hosted by Defence SA.![]()
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As a result of the former Federal Liberal Government’s record investment in Australia’s defence capability, the South Australian defence industry is growing in size, capability and reputation. The Liberal Government committed $270 billion over the decade for investment in new and upgraded capabilities. By the end of this decade, 15,000 Australians are expected to be employed in the shipbuilding enterprise alone, with 5,000 of those in SA, as a result of our investment in defence.![]()
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One of AIWF exhibitors was Cobham Aviation Services (Cobham Aviation Services - recruitment) – a great example of an Australian team collaborating with other Australian companies to develop sovereign capability which is being used to protect our national interests.![]()
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Cobham is a leading specialist aviation operator, which conducts aerial border surveillance and search-and-rescue operations, among other work. Cobham’s fleet of Dash-8 surveillance aircraft and their crew are used to conduct airborne surveillance and search-and-rescue operations for the Australian Government.![]()
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I spoke with Cobham’s Business Development Director, Anthony Patterson at AIWF who I’ve known for a number of years as a long-standing contributor to SA’s defence industry.![]()
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Cobham’s partnership with SA-based Acacia Systems led to the development of Australia’s world leading Mission Management Systems (MMS) – an important sovereign capability which has proven more capable and reliable than most overseas MMS technology.![]()
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In March, Acacia extended their existing partnership to collaborate on a Dash-8 fleet modification project, with aircraft integration work commencing in February at Cobham’s aircraft maintenance facility near Adelaide Airport. The project upgrades critical technology on board Cobham’s fleet of Dash-8 aircraft and within the ground operations command centre. More information: bit.ly/3Cjt3WZ![]()
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#AIWForum
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Employers who support staff to take leave in order to serve in the Defence Reserves play a key role in enabling the ADF to protect Australia and its interests. I joined Brigadier Graham Goodwin CSC, Commander of the 9th Brigade, last night at a reception to thank both reservists and their employers. ... See MoreSee Less
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By law they have to if my memory serves me correctly.
Acacia Systems is an exemplar of an Australian sovereign defence SME. On Tuesday, I met with Founder and Chairman of Acacia, Ted Huber, and CEO, Horden Wilshire, for an update on some next-generation capabilities they are developing.![]()
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Based in SA, the company has a long track record of developing world-leading tracking and display systems that deliver vital combat capability for our ADF. Part of their update, the team provided a brief on new capabilities – combining the power of unmanned systems, machine learning and advanced data processing. I was particularly impressed with the progress made on their ‘RefleX’ mission records and data management system. This upgraded software is being re-deployed aboard the Collins Class submarine fleet and has been integrated into an allied Navy’s shore-based submarine combat system simulator. RefleX allows our ADF personnel to capture and visualise different elements of mission data, review their performance and optimise mission performance. ![]()
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Acacia Systems also contribute to C4 EDGE (Evolutionary Digital Ground Environment) – a defence industry collaboration between 31 Australian small-to-medium sized businesses established to design, develop and manufacture a C4 (command control communications and computers) capacity proof-of-concept for the Australian Army. More information: bit.ly/33yKeGW![]()
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In March, Acacia partnered with Cobham Aviation Special Mission (Cobham Aviation Services - recruitment) on a Dash-8 fleet modification project, with aircraft integration work commencing in February at Cobham’s aircraft maintenance facility near Adelaide Airport.![]()
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The project sees the extension of the existing partnership between Acacia and Cobham – upgrading critical technology on board Cobham’s fleet of Dash-8 surveillance aircraft and within the ground operations command centre. Cobham’s fleet of Dash-8 aircraft and their crew are used to conduct airborne surveillance and search-and-rescue operations for the Australian Government. More information: bit.ly/3Cjt3WZ![]()
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The existing partnership between Acacia and Cobham led to the development of Australia’s first Mission Management Systems (MMS) – an important sovereign capability which has proven more capable and reliable than most overseas MMS technology.![]()
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I will continue to make the case that Government must prioritise contracts with those elements of Australia’s defence industry that are fundamental to maintaining a resilient national security capability.
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Over 102,000 Australian service men and women have paid the ultimate price for us to live in liberty – serving under the Australian Flag and its naval ensign.![]()
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Since it was first flown on the 3rd September 1901, Australia’s National Flag has become an expression of our collective identity and pride, which has united those who have served our nation through times of prosperity and adversity over the last century.
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And Adam Brandt chooses to remove it from a press conference and his office.
Proud of our flag, fly our flag.
Senator Fawcett, you deserve beyond challenge to be our Veteran's Affairs Minister. I continually mentioned that when you were our M.L.C. and l stand by that. If a person hasn't Served or are Veteran Community, they are not qualified to hold any Veteran's Portfolio. As for our Flag.....it represents Australia as a Country and part of the Commonweath. We are Australia, not just x2 cultural groups. We can fly each State Flag, Australian Flag, Indiginous Flag and Torres Flag together in that order. Our Commonweath Flag Protocol states that. All too often the Australian Flag is omitted and the Indiginous and Torres Flag is either on display or on print material. Two cultures don't represent unity and reconciliation. It creates a divide as Brandt proved. I have 5 family members that Served King and Country. Every Veteran either Served or is still Serving under our Ensign. I also have an Indiginous Uncle and cousins. They respect the State Flag, Australian Flag, Indiginous and Torres. Absolutely disrespectful what Brandt did. As disgusting and demoralising as touching any Flag on the ground. He should be Charged accordingly. Lest We Forget. 💔❤
Yes I am very proud of our flag and the men and women who have given their lives to save Australia 🇦🇺
It's not the flag It's the country. Canada had no difficulty changing their flag. The American flag has had 37 "amendments" since it was first flown. Worshipping a piece of cloth was certainly not favoured by the late Tom Uren.
Why isn’t there a veterans minister
Yet you treat genuine Australians in the most disrespectful manner by allowing Parental Alienation to destroy parents and children. By ignoring the very rights they fought so hard for all of us to enjoy, Why Senator?
God Bless Australia.
To bad the greens don't like it
And the Australian Government doesn't give a SHIT about returned war veterans 🤬😠😡😤
Adam Bandt should be deported to China, he is a disgraceful idiot
www.facebook.com/135933556447881/posts/7596887540352408/
Lest we forget,😢🇦🇺😢🇦🇺😢🇦🇺
I love our flag
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Today, Senator Jim Molan and I met with the British High Commissioner to Australia and a bipartisan delegation of the UK House of Commons Defence Committee. We exchanged strategic assessments on the security of the Indo-Pacific, opportunities ahead for AUKUS, and on Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine.![]()
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It’s clear that Australian and British lawmakers continue to share a closely-aligned strategic outlook. We share a belief that our freedoms and our democracies are precious. To borrow from Sir Winston Churchill, they must be defended, whatever the cost may be.
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Well said David
Thank you for this important work
We all know because of distance it would be a mop op we have no weaponary capable of protecting ourselves it is astonishing so many governments could be so fn stupid
ELECTRIFIED GAWLER LINE REOPENS![]()
Sunday saw the reopening of the Gawler Rail Line following the completion of the long-awaited $900 million Line Electrification – thanks to the significant investment from the Federal Liberal and former State Liberal Governments.![]()
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While completion was expected by 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed aspects of the now completed project – benefiting thousands of residents in Adelaide’s north and north-eastern suburbs in their daily commute to work.![]()
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Following the installation of more than 1200 concrete or metal ‘masts’ to support two electric 15mm wires – which transmit 25,000W of electricity to trains – upgraded signals, fencing and pedestrian platforms, among other works, the newly-electrified Gawler Line is now operational. ![]()
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Before the commencement of works, the Gawler Line was Adelaide’s most heavily used rail line – transporting 1 in every 3 of Adelaide’s daily train commuters.![]()
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Through an original $440 million joint investment from the former South Australian Marshall Government and Federal Liberal Government, preliminary work commenced on the project in late October 2019 – when I attended the launch of the project – for Stage 1’s section from Adelaide to Salisbury. An additional $60 million in federal funding supported ongoing construction works through the 2021/22 Federal Budget.![]()
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South Australia continues to benefit from the former Federal Liberal Government’s record infrastructure investment, with $2.8 billion committed in the 2022/23 Federal Budget. Our Government committed more than $13.7 billion to SA infrastructure since 2013 – across 95 road and rail infrastructure projects, with 39 projects completed over the same period. More information on the 2022/23 Federal Budget’s SA priority projects: bit.ly/3NrlJxW
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Train buzz: Gawler line is back on the rails
www.adelaidenow.com.au
It was a day of celebration as the newly renovated Gawler line opened its doors to passengers on Sunday, after years of delays.Comment on Facebook
if only our electricity grid was reliable. I can see commuters being stuck somewhere
Well Done 👍