Katherine Ziesing | Canberra
In a surprise move, new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has appointed Senator Marise Payne as Defence Minister. More than a few names had been bandied about the Canberra rumour mill but hers was not among them. For those not familiar with Senator Payne, here’s your primer.
She joined the Liberal Party in 1982 and was the National Young Liberal Movement's first female President. She also served on the NSW Liberal State Executive for 10 years and at branch and electorate levels. She has worked as a public affairs adviser and in the finance industry.
She became a NSW Senator in 1997 and, most notably for this audience, has been either a chair or member of the Defence Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee since that time. She has made numerous overseas trips with Defence, including to East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East during her time in parliament.
Senator Payne has served as Shadow Minister for Indigenous Development and Employment, Shadow Minister for COAG [Council of Australian Governments] and Shadow Minister for Housing. In September 2013 Senator Payne was appointed as Minister for Human Services in the newly elected Abbott Coalition Government.
At only 51, she bucks the trend of the last two decades by becoming Defence Minister in her political prime rather than her twilight years. And as the First Principles Review pointed out, leadership churn has been an issue for the portfolio. Some stability at the political level would be a welcome change.
During her first press conference, she acknowledged the elephant in the room; she is Australia’s first female Defence Minister.
“All I ask is that I am judged on my performance, not on my gender,” Senator Payne said. “But if, as … Australia's first female defence minister, I can encourage or that appointment encourages one extra young woman in this nation to consider a career in Defence, to consider a career in politics, or encourages one woman currently serving in the ADF or part of the Defence public service in what they are doing, then I think that is an absolutely fabulous thing.”
ADM Comment: Senator Payne takes on the Defence portfolio at a key time. There have now been three Defence Ministers in less than 12 months (and you thought the PM churn was bad).
From Senator David Johnston, to Kevin Andrews and now Senator Payne, Defence has been in a state of flux. A new White Paper was first slated to be released in March. Until recently it was expected in late September and the latest rumblings around a possible release date are now November. Given there is a new minister in place, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Regardless, this White Paper has many parents. And it’s not just the White Paper that will be released; a new industry statement, an updated and expanded DCP in the form of the Integrated Investment Plan, Force Structure Review, and yet another defence estate review are also imminent.
I whole-heartedly welcome Senator Payne’s intention to be in the portfolio ‘for the long haul’. As mentioned earlier, leadership churn has been a significant issue for Defence.
There are many key decisions both on the strategic and materiel fronts to be made sooner rather than later. Senator Payne will have little time to get her feet under the desk before she is asked to make some big decisions. Her work in committee since 1997 will put her in good stead.
Cabinet’s National Security Committee (NSC) will be a much more diverse gathering of people under the new ministry team announced this week.
Welcome to Defence Senator Payne. It’s many things but dull certainly isn’t one of them.