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Ben PackhamForeign affairs and defence correspondent

Ben Packham is The Australian’s foreign affairs and defence correspondent. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years and is the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Lowy Institute Media Award.

@bennpackham

Ben Packham

Latest

ExclusiveProperty

Building shortages threaten delay

Major building projects involving shops, offices, airports and hotels are set to be delayed by at least a month.

Rosie Lewis and Ben Packham

ExclusiveDefence

Federal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds speaks to the media during a visit to Naval Group in Adelaide, Friday, February 28, 2020. The federal government has vowed to hold a French company to account after it pledged to spend 60 per cent of its $80 million submarine contract within Australia. (AAP Image/David Mariuz) NO ARCHIVING

Lockheed refuses to lock in locals for subs

The company developing combat systems for the Future Submarines won’t commit to a specific level of Australian industry content.

Ben Packham

Campion job offerPolitics

A screen-grab taken from Channel 7's Sunday Night program, featuring an interview with former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and partner Vikki Campion, televised on Sunday, June 3, 2018. (AAP Video/Supplied/Channel 7) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Joyce partner’s new job

Barnaby Joyce has welcomed a job offer for his ‘well qualified’ partner Vikki Campion from fellow Nationals MP Llew O’Brien.

Ben Packham

Politics

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin introduce members of their new cabinet on the steps of the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on October 23, 2019. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

Jakarta’s idea for Aussie aid: keep it coming

Indonesia is mounting a high-level push to maintain levels of Australian aid to the country.

Ben Packham

Politics

Former Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Alexander Downer delivers his address to the National Press Club in Canberra, Tuesday, November 12, 2019. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

Hockey’s Downer claims ‘not credible’

A claim that Alexander Downer jeopardised the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance is ‘not credible’, DFAT says.

Ben Packham

senate estimatesDefence

Federal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds poses for a photo next to a model of the Barracuda-class submarine during a visit to Naval Group in Adelaide, Friday, February 28, 2020. The federal government has vowed to hold a French company to account after it pledged to spend 60 per cent of its $80 million submarine contract within Australia. (AAP Image/David Mariuz) NO ARCHIVING

‘We’re captives of French on subs’

Handing France’s Naval Group the $80bn subs project without a Plan B ‘has effectively left the nation captured’.

Ben Packham

senate estimatesDefence

Senate Estimates into the department of Defence at Parliament House in Canberra. Secretary of Defence Greg Moriarty, Minister for Defence Senator Linda Reynolds and CDF General Angus Campbell appeared at estimates.Picture Gary Ramage

Defence chief uneasy over Libs’ ad

General Angus Campbell told the PM he was ‘discomforted’ with the use of the ADF footage in the controversial advertisement.

Ben Packham

CLAIMS ESCALATENation

Peter Dutton will attempt to deal with indigenous claims from deportees

23 detainees claim ‘I’m indigenous’

Home Affairs is examining the claims of 23 detainees who say they should be freed because they are indigenous Australians.

Ben Packham

CORONAVIRUSNation

Job ID PD427450. Pic of professor Rory Medcalf, new head of the National Security College, to accompany an exclusive Monday story on his first main public speech on a new national security era for the country.

Virus could curb China’s regional ambitions

A new government adviser on China relations says coronavirus could hinder Xi Jinping’s domination in the Indo-Pacific.

Ben Packham

exclusiveDefence

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 05: Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds speaks at a press conference regarding Operation Bushfire Assist on January 05, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. The Australian Defence Force bushfire assistance operation has increased following Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcement on Saturday that Army Reserve forces and other specialist capabilities have been called out to help with firefighting efforts across Australia, along with extra Defence ships and helicopters. 14 people have now died in the fires in NSW, Victoria and South Australia since New Year's Eve. (Photo by Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)

Defence raids big-ticket ‘ATM’

Budget pressures have forced Defence to raid its $200bn capital investment program to pay salaries and sexual assault victims.

Ben Packham

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/ben-packham/page/199