Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 VIP Reception

Representing the Premier of Queensland, Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations, the Honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP; Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston AC RAN; Military delegates from international partner nations; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here tonight.

As Governor of Queensland, it is an honour to be with you all this evening, and I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Australia, as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.

Whether you are from a neighbouring country, or have travelled much further to be here, your leadership, expertise and commitment to maintaining stability and security in the Indo-Pacific shows a unity of purpose, which is particularly valuable in the face of a rapidly changing and uncertain future.

On the land, on the seas, in the air, in space and in cyber domains, TS25 is a military training event of tremendous scale, might and complexity—and this—the eleventh iteration, is the largest and most sophisticated ever held in our country.

This year’s exercise honours a tradition that highlights the deep sense of collaboration and trust that has strengthened over the decades we have worked in alliance with our international partners.

Over the next few weeks, in key locations around our country—and for the first time in Papua New Guinea—more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries—with an additional three nations observing—will undertake training activities that will test our joint capabilities and showcase the immense importance of cooperation.

From planning through to execution, TS25’s training activities will inform our collective ability to respond to crises, but it will also require an extraordinary feat of logistics in moving vehicles, equipment and forces around the country.

Though Graeme and I will be unable to attend this year’s Exercise due to prior commitments travelling through remote communities in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria, we were profoundly impressed by what we witnessed during Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2023, when it last came to Townsville.

It is clear that organising a training exercise of this scope requires the dedication and hard work of many—not just from those in the military, but from key stakeholders involved in ensuring the locations are suitable and safe for training exercises, and I therefore thank everyone who has contributed to bringing TS25 to fruition.

The relationships that bind us are strong and precious—we share a vision for a world that values the principles of democracy; one that respects sovereignty, and strives towards peace and prosperity for all.

I thank each of you for your contribution, and wish you a safe journey home, as we look towards a successful and productive Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025.