Dozens of defence insiders now lobbying for the industry, analysis shows

Dozens of government insiders lobbying for defence industry, analysis shows Dozens of former defence officials, including ministers, high-ranking officers and senior staffers, have jumped from government roles into lucrative lobbying firms or the defence sector, Four Corners analysis reveals. Critics say this "revolving door" creates an unfair playing field, where former officials can use their connections to potentially influence the awarding of multimillion-dollar contracts. New analysis by Four Corners has exposed the scale of the practice, prompting calls for greater transparency and tighter lobbying rules. Pyne 'could sell tea to China' One former defence minister now in the lobbying sector is veteran Liberal MP Christopher Pyne. Within months of retiring from federal politics in 2019, Mr Pyne co-founded lobbying firm Pyne & Partners. Seven years later, Mr Pyne says it's the fifth largest lobbying firm in Australia. "We're number one in defence, number two in infrastructure and construction," he says. "Business is good. I'm very happy." Mr Pyne says lobbying is an integral part of Australia's democracy and is a natural career path for some former parliamentarians. "I had a quarter of a century in politics. I was on the frontbench for 16 years. I was a minister for most of the time that we were in government," Mr Pyne says. "To me, it would be crazy not to tap into that experience in that lifetime of learning about the political system." Independent MP Monique Ryan says while she appreciates Mr Pyne's skills and connections, she believes he represents the need for tighter regulations and greater transparency. "Christopher's a charming individual. He could sell tea to China," Ms Ryan says. "But he has inside knowledge that he has gained from decades in parliament and years as a defence minister, which he has taken into the defence industry." Former defence ministers-turned-lobbyists Mr Pyne is not the only former defence minister to pivot to lobbying or a private-sector firm. Former Liberal senator David Johnston served as defence minister from September 2013 to December 2014. He is now on the advisory board of lobbying company TG Public Affairs, which boasts "specialist expertise in defence procurement". Longtime former Labor defence minister Kim Beazley is on the same board, alongside former Labor senator-turned-lobbyist Stephen Conroy, who serves as chairman. Another former Labor defence minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, is a "special counsel" to lobbying firm CMAX Advisory, which has secured government contracts for major defence companies and weapons manufacturers. Mike Kelly, a Labor defence materiel minister in 2013, served as the Australian president of the controversial US software and intelligence company Palantir from 2020 to 2024. And those are just government insiders with public profiles. There are many more who worked behind the scenes in defence who are now working for the industry. Analysis by Four Corners has identified at least 60 former defence ministers, senior officers and officials who have moved into weapons firms or lobbying companies. AUKUS is 'like a multi-billion-dollar feast' For many lobbying firms, the defence sector represents a potential bonanza, with their clients keen to cash in on the AUKUS deal between Australia, the US and the UK. "It's not a secret to say there's $368 billion being spent on AUKUS over the lifetime of the agreement," Mr Pyne says. "Therefore, there's a lot of businesses — UK, US, Australian — who want to be part of that story." It is this attitude that concerns Greens defence spokesperson David Shoebridge. "AUKUS is like a feast. It's this multi-billion-dollar feast for lobbyists," he says. "In a $400 billion program, there are entire careers, entire harbourside mansions [and] new consulting contracts." Australian Defence Force officials jump the fence The revolving door does not just spin for former politicians and their staffers. Senior defence force officials are also making the transition into lucrative roles in defence and weapons sectors. In January, the world's largest arms manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, announced Major General Jeremy King would become its Australia and New Zealand chief executive. Senator Shoebridge said Mr King was one of the most senior members inside the Australian Defence Force's aviation unit. "[He was] responsible for a series of critical procurement decisions and most notably getting a US weapon system called the Black Hawk," Senator Shoebridge says. The Black Hawk helicopter is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. In Senate estimates in February, then chief of army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, confirmed Mr King was involved in the execution of the contract to purchase 40 Black Hawks from Lockheed Martin in 2023 for $2.8 billion. Senator Shoebridge says Mr King's transition to the private sector shows how fast the revolving door can turn. "When we were checking the data, there wasn't even a week between [Mr King] walking out of defence and taking the most senior position in Lockheed Martin, Australia," he says. In a statement to Four Corners, Lockheed Martin said it had instituted rigorous conflict-of-interest safeguards "that fully isolate Mr Jeremy King's executive responsibilities from any decision-making or oversight on identified programs". "Lockheed Martin has followed all conflict of interest and integrity principles and their associated processes," the spokesperson said. Questioned in Senate estimates about Mr King's move to the world's largest weapons maker, the then-defence chief, Admiral David Johnston, said Mr King brought extensive experience to his new job. "Moving to [the] defence industry to allow an individual of that calibre to continue to contribute to our nation is to our benefit," Admiral Johnston said at the time. Senator Shoebridge said the response was telling. "I think if you wanted a demonstration for just how problematic this is and how ingrained that revolving door is, you just got it there," he says. "Sure, he might have left after decades in defence, but he's still one of the guys because he's working with Lockheed Martin and it's all sweet. "It was an extraordinary demonstration of how deep the problem is in Canberra." Glitzy event features high-ranking ADF speaker An event in Washington this year showed the pulling power of the lobbying sector. Every year, Pyne & Partners holds a conference dedicated to AUKUS, attracting big defence contractors, senior government officials, and high-ranking military officers from the three AUKUS partner nations. This year, the venue was the Cosmos Club, a private club in Washington whose members have included US presidents and Supreme Court justices. Tickets for the three-day event in April were $4,950, while the cost of the conference dinner was $950 a head. The keynote speaker that evening was the chief of the Australian Navy, Admiral Mark Hammond, who at the time was preparing to step up as the chief of the defence force. "It was deeply inappropriate," Senator Shoebridge says. "The chief of the Australian Defence Force is meant to be above politics, so what on earth was he doing going to a former politician's corporate knees up?" Mr Pyne says his company's annual conference is an opportunity to bring senior AUKUS decision-makers into the one room. "The other criticism that people always get is that they sit in an ivory tower in Russell Hill or Capitol Hill and never talk to anyone," he says. "Opportunities are created by people like me for them to get out and sell their message, and also to hear from people about how it's going, and then they get criticised for doing that. "You can't have it both ways." Defence told Four Corners that Admiral Hammond travelled to the US for Anzac Day, "where he undertook a number of engagements in support of the Royal Australian Navy, including the 5th annual Pyne & Partners AUKUS Conference". Another speaker at the Pyne & Partners Washington conference was Labor senator Deborah O'Neill, whose travel and accommodation were paid for by the lobbying firm. Senator O'Neill's office told Four Corners that "all declarations have been made appropriately and in accordance with the rules." Senator Shoebridge wants to see the rules tightened, with longer cooling-off periods for senior officials, such as former ministers who want to move into lobbying or into industries they once oversaw or regulated. "What we see is people monetising this knowledge that is meant to be used for the public interest … to deliver this corporate profit," he says. But Mr Pyne says if the so-called revolving door was slammed shut, the system of decision-making would suffer from a loss of experience and knowledge. He also says if politicians are blocked from lobbying, they will not want to leave parliament. "You'll get a log jam because people have to have options," Mr Pyne says. "Not everybody wants to stay in politics until they're 75." Watch Four Corners' full investigation Access All Areas on Monday night from 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. Loading...