Hon Paul Papalia CSC MLA is the Minister for Emergency Services, Corrective Services, Defence Industries, Veterans, Racing, and Gaming. Born in Bunbury and raised in Burekup, he served 26 years in the Royal Australian Navy, becoming a Navy Clearance Diver and serving in the Special Air Service Regiment. He commanded various naval units and received the Conspicuous Service Cross. 

After leaving the Navy in 2004, Paul and his wife ran a small business before he entered politics. He was elected to the seat of Peel in 2007 and later to Warnbro, serving in various shadow ministries. In 2017, he became a Minister in the McGowan Government, holding multiple portfolios. Since 2021, he has served as Minister for Police, Road Safety, Defence Industry, and Veterans Issues, and in December 2023, he was appointed to his current roles. 

Mr. Abraham M. Denmark is a partner at The Asia Group, co-leading the Defense and National Security Practice. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in Indo-Pacific security and US strategy. He is also a Nonresident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

He recently served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III (2022-2024), leading the development of the AUKUS partnership and efforts to enhance military capabilities and defense cooperation. Previously, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia (2015-2017). 

Outside government, he held roles at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and other research institutions. He authored “US Strategy in the Asian Century” and received several awards for his service. A Colorado native, he holds degrees from the University of Denver and the University of Northern Colorado, and lives in Maryland with his family. 

Ashley Schneider is the Chief Safety, Engineering and Assurance Officer at H&B Defence. 

Prior to this, Ashley was the Director for AUKUS Emerging Markets in the Nuclear and Environmental Group at HII Mission Technologies where she was responsible for shaping this emerging market and capturing work and standing up the business to support the AUKUS trilateral agreement. 

Ashley has over 20 years of extensive experience in nuclear engineering, hazardous and radiological waste management, emergency planning, Virginia Class Submarine Nuclear reactor construction and testing, and technical leadership.  

Ashley joined HII in 2008 as an Environmental Engineer and held positions throughout the Nuclear Propulsion Division in Radiological Controls Engineering, Emergency Planning, International Relations, Nuclear Test Engineering and R&D. She was also responsible for the stand up and successful operation of the Maritime Operations team, a 135-person embed multi-disciplinary engineering organization performing maintenance, sustainment and new construction of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines and nuclear facilities. 

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Florida, a Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  

Linda Dawson is a senior executive with more than 25 years experience working in large Australian and multinational organisations across the resources and utilities sectors.  Over Linda’s career she has led corporate services, community development, human resources, health safety and environment, corporate affairs and operational functions. Linda currently works for the Department of Jobs Tourism Science and Innovation in the Western Australian Government, as Deputy Director General Industry Science Innovation. 

Linda has a strong belief in equality and respect for all in society, learning from our First Nations people, empowering women and giving back to the community.   She has been a Chair of the MCA Indigenous Community of Practice, mentor with WIMWA and a past Chair of the CMEWA Pilbara Regional Council. 

Linda is currently a Board Member of Workpower, Vice Chairperson of Midland Women’s Health Care Place and a Member of the Sir Charles Gardiner and Osborne Park Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee. 

She holds a Masters of Education and Bachelor of Physical Education from the University of Western Australia, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Certified Professional of the Australian Human Resource Institute and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.  

Mr. Dave Hallinan is a Deputy Secretary at the Department of Defence, providing strategic guidance on the Henderson precinct consolidation. Dave has over two decades of public sector experience and over 15 years in senior executive roles across the Australian Public Service. 

Dave is values driven, enjoys linking complex practical implementation issues with nationally significant agendas, and working collaboratively with complex stakeholder groups to solve challenging policy, program and regulatory issues to support the best outcomes for the Australian community.  

Dave has spent his career working in policy development, as well as program and regulatory delivery across the Health, Infrastructure, Finance and Defence portfolios. Dave’s key experience areas include: 

• Health workforce management and regulation, aged care, and health and related systems integration. 

• Program and policy at the Australian Submarine Agency;

• Defence capability and infrastructure development;

• Infrastructure financing and delivery;

• Road and vehicle safety policy and regulation;

• Australian Government budget management and advice;

• Primary care and rural health financing and delivery; and