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Former Federal Labor MP and Minister Dr Mike Kelly AM joined an AIJAC Live Online webinar on April 12 2021.

Dr Kelly was recently appointed President of Palantir Australia, where he leads the Australian operations of Palantir Technologies. Palantir is a Denver based software company. Palantir software is used by some US intelligence agencies to assist in counter-terrorism activities.

Dr Kelly served as a Member of Parliament from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2020. He held several executive positions in the Rudd and Gillard Governments, including serving as Minister for Defence Materiel in 2013. During his second term in Parliament, Dr Kelly was the Assistant Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, he sat on the Shadow National Security Committee, and was a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Before entering Parliament, Dr Kelly served in the Australian Army for 20 years, during this time he was deployed to international operations in Somalia, Bosnia, East Timor, Iraq and a hostage recovery mission in Kenya.

Dr Kelly was awarded the Chief of the General Staff Commendation in 1993, made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Military Division in 1994 and received the United Nations Force Commander’s Commendation in 2002.