The Hon Peter Tinley AM, RSL Australia National President, will Address the National Press Club on “The Missing Line of Defence: The Duty Nobody Holds.”
In his first National Press Club address as National President, Mr Tinley argues that Australia has a defence strategy but not yet a national preparedness system, and that the country’s missing line of defence is not another weapon system or another strategy, but an enduring national duty to prepare.
Drawing on his experience in uniform and in public office, Mr Tinley will examine public trust, social cohesion and the resilience of the systems Australians rely on every day, and make the case for a framework that has the nation ready before it is tested.
BIO
Peter Tinley AM was elected National President of RSL Australia in October 2025. He served 25 years in the Australian Army, including 17 with the Special Air Service Regiment, deploying on operations to Lebanon, Bougainville, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 for his strategic planning and leadership in warlike operations.
Following his military career, Peter served in the Western Australian Parliament from 2009 to 2025, holding ministerial portfolios including Housing, Veterans Issues, Asian Engagement and Youth. As Minister for Veterans Issues he led the push to embed veteran status in the national census and developed Western Australia’s first Veterans and Families Strategy.
Peter chairs the Veterans’ Transition Centre in Western Australia, co-founded Tactica Advisory, and is a member of the Australian War Memorial Council.
