Chair: Ambassador Biren Nanda, Former High Commissioner of India

Read complete text of address [+]

About the Speaker

Kevin Andrews was sworn in as the Minister for Defence in the Australian Government on 23 December 2014.

A member of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Cabinet, the Minister has been a member of the Australian Commonwealth Parliament, since 1991, serving as the member for the Victorian seat of Menzies in the House of Representatives.

Since his election to parliament, the Minister has served on numerous Parliamentary Committees, including the Joint Select Committee on Family Law Issues, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and the Joint Select Committee on Intelligence Services. He has also served as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Chairman of the Federal Government’s Policy Committee on Family and Community Services and Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Economics Committee.

The Minister’s previous Ministerial appointments include serving as Minister for Ageing (2001-2003), Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service (2003-2007), Minister for Immigration and Citizenship (2007) and Minister for Social Services (2013-2014).

The Minister has previously served as the Shadow Minister for Schools, Vocational Education and Training (1993-1994) and the Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services (2009-2013).

Following the defeat of the Howard Government, the Minister was appointed as Chairman of the Coalition’s Federalism Taskforce. He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Coalition Policy Review and Coalition Policy Coordination Committee in 2008 and held that position until December 2009.

In 2012, the Minister published a book entitled “Maybe I Do: Modern Marriage and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Raised in country Victoria, the Minister studied law and arts at Melbourne University, where he lived at Newman College, before completing a Master of Laws at Monash University.

Before his election to parliament, the Minister served as an Associate to Sir James Gobbo in the Victorian Supreme Court before practicing law at the Victorian Bar. He was named Australian Young Lawyer of the Year for his community work in establishing a legal scheme for disaster victims, and for publishing a book for seniors about the law.

A keen cyclist, the Minister is married to Margaret and together they have four adult children and a teenage son.

Programme

9.30 AM – 10.00 AM    Registration 

10.00 AM – 10.03 AM    Welcome Remarks by Brig Rumel Dahiya  (Retd)  Deputy Director General, Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses

10.03 Am – 10.08    Opening Remarks by Amb Biren Nanda, former High Commissioner of India in Australia (Chair) 

10.08 AM – 10.30 AM    Talk by Honourable Kevin Andrews 

10.30 AM– 10.55 AM Q&A 

10.55 AM –11.00 AM    Closing Remarks by Chair and Vote of Thanks by DDG, IDSA 

11.00 AM onwards    High Tea

Read complete text of address [+]