The Hon Pat Conroy MP
Minister for Defence Industry
Minister for Pacific Island Affairs

The Hon Pat Conroy MP is Australia’s longest serving Minister for Defence Industry since the 1950s.
His focus is on delivering the capabilities our Australian Defence Force needs to keep Australians safe.
Since coming into government, Minister Conroy has accelerated capability delivery to meet Australia’s strategic challenges, including a historic increase in Australia’s missile manufacturing capabilities and more than doubling the Navy’s major warship fleet.
Furthermore, he is working to deliver a generational investment in Australia’s industrial base to implement the AUKUS partnership.
With over 100,000 Australians working in the defence industry, a key driver of his work is to build a stronger and more resilient defence industry that secures well-paid, high-skilled jobs – not just for the next few years, but for the next generation.
Minister Conroy grew up on the New South Wales Central Coast, completed an Economics degree with Honours at the University of Sydney, and worked in a range of industrial, policy and political roles prior to his election in 2013 as a Federal Member of Parliament. He was elevated into the Ministry after the 2022 Federal Election and into the Cabinet in 2024. Minister Conroy also serves as the Minister for Pacific Island Affairs.
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Short Form
The Hon Pat Conroy MP is Australia’s longest serving Minister for Defence Industry since the 1950s.
From accelerating capability delivery across the Australian Defence Force to building a stronger and more resilient defence industry, Minister Conroy’s focus is on keeping Australians safe and backing secure, well-paid local jobs.