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Treaties Committee recommends ratification of the World Health Organization’s treaty on global public health emergencies

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has tabled a report recommending the ratification of the major treaty action Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005).

The committee found the amendments to the treaty are aimed at strengthening global preparedness for future pandemics. The amendments will allow the World Health Organization to respond to future pandemics more swiftly and effectively, through the following key measures:

  • A new pandemic emergency declaration mechanism to improve early warning and elevate global attention to emerging health threats;
  • Expanded core capacities, such as measures to combat misinformation and disinformation, and improved access to essential health products for developing countries;
  • Strengthened global health architecture, promoting faster, coordinated international responses and reducing the risk of future pandemics.

Committee Chair Lisa Chesters MP said, "Australia already has strong health systems in place. The real benefit of these amendments lies in helping other countries strengthen their capacity to detect and respond to health threats early. This global cooperation ultimately safeguards Australians and reduces the risk of future pandemics."

The report also contains one minor treaty action relating to the Amendment to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006. The treaty provides a framework for cooperation between tropical timber-producing and -consuming countries in the promotion of sustainable forest management and legal timber trade. The amendment is to extend the treaty until 2029.

The committee supports ratification of the major and minor treaty actions and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.

The report can be found on the Committee website, along with further information on the inquiry.

 

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Inquiry into the standing orders relating to petitions

THE Parliament Standing Committee on Petitions has today launched an Inquiry into the standing orders relating to petitions.

The committee will inquire into and report on the work of the Standing Committee on Petitions in the 48th Parliament, including:

  • The suitability of the current provisions of the standing orders governing the form, submission, and consideration of petitions and e-petitions;
  • The impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and automated systems, on the integrity and authenticity of the petitions process; and
  • Potential amendments to the standing orders or administrative practices to ensure the petitions process remains accessible, credible, and sustainable.

Chair of the Committee Jodie Belyea MP, said, "Petitions enjoy a long history in the Western parliamentary tradition, dating back to the 12th century. Today, petitions remain one of the few ways for Australians to raise their concerns directly with parliament, and their popularity has only continued to grow.

“The e-petitions system was introduced in 2016 at the start of the 45th Parliament. There has been a remarkable growth in e-petitioning from the days of paper petitions, when fewer than 300 petitions were typically presented over the course of a parliament.

"In the 47th Parliament the number of petitions presented to the parliament was 1,706, with the vast majority of these being e-petitions.  Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the e-petitions system, and this inquiry is timely."

Submissions from interested individuals and organisations are invited by Friday, February 6, 2026. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account.

Further information about the committee’s inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

 

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QRC State of the Sector annual lunch and economic contribution report

QUEENSLAND Resources Council (QRC) chief executive officer Janette Hewson will release a key report revealing the resources sector’s economic contribution to Queensland at a major annual industry event in Brisbane tomorrow. 

The 2024-25 financial year report outlines the industry's contribution to the economy, jobs and to local businesses and community organisations across the state. 

QRC will also launch a new industry campaign promoting the importance of the resources sector to Queensland. 

Ms Hewson will address around 850 senior industry and government representatives discussing the report and the challenges and opportunities ahead for the sector.

What: QRC Annual Economic Contribution Report 2024-25
Where: QRC Annual Lunch, Plaza Ballroom, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre 
When: 12.30 - 2.15 pm.

 

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Public Hearing – Defence Annual Report 2023-24: Defence Subcommittee to hear from Defence experts and industry

THIS EVENING (November 25), the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from Dr John Coyne and Ms Raelene Lockhorst on behalf of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and Mr David Goodrich OAM on behalf of Anduril as part of its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2023–24.

The subcommittee will discuss uncrewed and autonomous systems and their integration into the Joint Force, Defence estate, security and resilience, and Australian international defence cooperation and competition.

Chair of the Defence Subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, ‘This will be the last scheduled hearing the subcommittee will hold for its inquiry into the Defence Annual Report 2023-24. It will be an opportunity to gain final insights from both defence experts and industry which will be used to inform the Subcommittee’s recommendations."

‘This inquiry has been a valuable opportunity to support the critical work of the Department of Defence in safeguarding the nation," she said.

‘The subcommittee appreciates the support of Defence, academia, industry and members of the Australian public who have contributed to the inquiry."

Further information, including the full Terms of Reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Time: 5.40pm–7.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra.

 

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2025 My First Speech winners come to Canberra

THE winners of the My First Speech competition will be visiting Canberra next week to have their say.

The competition asks secondary school students to imagine themselves as a newly elected Member of the House of Representatives and to write a 90 second or 300-word speech about an issue they are passionate about.

The judges for the 2025 competition were the Speaker of the House, Milton Dick MP, the Member for Bass, Jess Teesdale MP, the Member for Hinkler, David Batt MP and the Member for Fowler, Dai Le MP.

This year’s winning speeches were about better access to physical and mental health care in regional areas, organ donation and holistic education. The winners will travel to Canberra to deliver their speeches live at an award ceremony in Parliament House on Wednesday (November 26) to be hosted by the Speaker.

"The My First Speech Competition is a fantastic way for our future leaders to get involved in democracy and speak about the issues that are important to them," Speaker Milton Dick said.

"It is so important that we continue to look for these opportunities to give our young Australians the opportunity to engage with our Parliament. Hearing their voices and views is the sign of a vibrant and healthy democracy – something I am so passionate about."

Video footage of the winners’ speeches will be available on the House of Representatives YouTube channel after the ceremony.

Event details

My First Speech event
Wednesday 26 November, 12pm to 12.45pm
Presiding Officers Exhibition Area,1st floor public area (near the post office)
Parliament House, Canberra.

 

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Electoral Matters calls for community input at December hearings in Brisbane

THE Electoral Matters Committee is inviting community input on the 2025 Federal Election at its upcoming hearings.

Committee Chair, Jerome Laxale MP said, "We have already learnt so much from the candid submissions and statements we have received. As the committee makes its final trip of the year to Queensland, our focus remains clear: we want to hear from community members about their experience of the 2025 Federal Election."

The committee will be holding hearings in Brisbane (December 10, 2025). As part of these hearings, members of the public will be invited to get on the record by making short verbal statements of up to five minutes.

"Your insights, concerns, and lived experiences of the 2025 Federal Election are essential to shaping the work of the committee. Community statements are essential to helping us understand what change is needed. If you want to speak to the committee, you just need to tell us how you participated in the election and what you would like to talk to the committee about," Mr Laxale said.

To register your interest in making a statement at upcoming hearings, contact the Committee Secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further information on the 2025 election inquiry can be found at the inquiry webpage. Committee details can be found at the Committee’s webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Location: Hotel Grand Chancellor, 23 Leichhardt Street, Spring Hill QLD 4000

Programs for these upcoming hearings will be advertised on the committee’s public hearings webpage as they are finalised. The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

 

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Public Works Committee to examine CSIRO’s proposed refit of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness

THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (the committee) will consider the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s (CSIRO) proposed part-life refit of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) under the Public Works Act 1969.

The proposed works were referred for inquiry and report on September 2, 2025. The committee will conduct a site inspection at the CSIRO Geelong ACDP, with a public hearing at Virginia Todd Hall, Geelong West, to follow.

CSIRO seeks to build a new 1,400m2 high-containment laboratory wing as part of the first stage of their ACDP Part-life Refit Project to address current compliance issues in laboratory design and replace end-of-life critical infrastructure. The proposed works intend to provide safe, fit-for-purpose facilities that enhance Australia’s resilience to respond to pandemic events and improve CSIRO’s delivery of biosecurity services.

The estimated cost of the proposed works is $372,216,000 (excluding GST).

The committee will hear from relevant officers from CSIRO at the hearing. Interested members of the public are encouraged to listen in to the public hearing via the APH website or attend the hearing in person at the location listed below.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 12pm–12:40pm
Location: Virginia Todd Hall, 9–15 Clarence St, Geelong West, VIC 3218

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

Please note: the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Enquiries on these matters should be directed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

 

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Defence subcommittee hits the road to meet with Defence personnel on-base

ON NOVEMBER 19 and 21, the Defence subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will be holding public hearings in Darwin and Perth for its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2023–24.

The subcommittee will be conducting site visits and meeting Defence personnel across Defence bases in Australia’s north and west before holding public hearings in these locations. The subcommittee will hear from the Department of Defence, the Australian Submarine Agency and industry, and will focus on the following terms of reference:

  • Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities;
  • Defence Estate, Security and Resilience; and
  • AUKUS.

Chair of the Defence subcommittee, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "Australia’s northern Defence bases are critical to our National Defence Strategy and it is essential that the subcommittee understands the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

"The subcommittee will also be focused on discussing the progress of AUKUS, the ongoing delivery of maritime capability to the Australian Defence Force, and the uplift of the maritime industrial base that underpins national defence.

"The Defence assets stationed in the Northern Territory and Western Australia play a vital role in safeguarding the nation and the subcommittee is keen to support the Department of Defence in their mission of protecting Australia."

Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Time: 1pm–3pm (ACST)
Location: Nitmiluk Room, Legislative Assembly, Darwin

and

Date: Friday, 21 November 2025
Time: 9am–12pm (AWST)
Location: Committee Room 1, Legislative Assembly, Perth

The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

 

 

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House of Representatives Economics Committee to hear from CEOs of Australia’s four major banks

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics has commenced a review of Australia’s four major banks with public hearings to be held in Canberra next week with the CEOs of ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac.

Committee Chair, Ed Husic MP, said, "These hearings play an important part in opening up to public view the way the major banks operate in Australia.

"At a time when households and businesses across the country continue to embrace digital pathways for their banking and payment services, the committee will look at how major banks are balancing the interests of their customers and stakeholders.

"The committee is keen to hear how the four banks are managing current and emerging risks, especially the threats posed by scams, fraud and new technologies," Mr Husic said.

"With banks increasingly deploying artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to transform and support their operations, the Committee has – for the first time – made these areas a specific focus within the review’s terms of reference."

Through its hearings, the committee will examine matters related to: 

  • interest rates on deposits and loans, the financial position of borrowers and the role of banks in supporting the flow of credit to households and small businesses; 
  • impacts of proposed changes to surcharging, interchange caps and fee transparency;
  • how the banks interact with customers;
  • how banks are using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies;
  • actions taken to protect customers from scams;
  • service delivery and operational performance, including access to banking in regional, rural and remote areas;
  • responses to climate change and support of Australia’s climate and sustainability goals; and
  • the ongoing implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.  

Programs for the hearings and the full terms of reference for the inquiry are available on the committee’s webpage.  

This inquiry is not open to submissions. 

Public hearing details:

Location (both days): Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Tuesday 18 November 2025

Time:  9:15am to 5pm AEDT

Banks: Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Group.

Date: Wednesday 19 November 2025

Time:  9:15am to 5pm AEDT

Banks: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited and National Australia Bank.


The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

 

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Audit Committee to scrutinise the Commonwealth Financial Statements

THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced an inquiry into the 2023-24 Commonwealth Financial Statements, which are audited each year by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).

This audit provides the Parliament with an independent examination of the Commonwealth’s accounts and possible financial statement risks.

Committee Chair Josh Burns MP, said, "Investigating different aspects of the Commonwealth Financial Statements Audit findings by ANAO continues to be an integral aspect of the JCPAA’s work. This inquiry provides a valuable vehicle for this Committee to further scrutinise any issues with the governance arrangements and internal control frameworks of Commonwealth entities on behalf of the Parliament."

Areas of interest to the committee include:

  • legislative breaches relating to incorrect remuneration payments;
  • greatly increased AI use across the Commonwealth but a lack of established internal policies governing this technology in more than one-third of entities;
  • issues with the IT control environment, particularly IT security;
  • the timeliness of financial statement preparation.

The inquiry will examine Auditor-General Report No. 22 of 2024-25: Audits of the Financial Statements of Australian Government Entities for the Period Ended 30 June 2024.

The committee has invited submissions to the inquiry, to be received by Friday, December 5, 2025.

Details of the inquiry – including the terms of reference and public hearings – will be made available on the Committee website.

 

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New inquiry into Australia’s local government funding

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a new inquiry into the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia.

Committee Chair, Fiona Phillips, said, "The committee wants to gain a deeper understanding of the financial relationship between local government and other levels of government in Australia, with a particular emphasis on funding mechanisms and fiscal sustainability."

The inquiry aims to identify how funding arrangements affect local government’s ability to deliver services and invest in local infrastructure by identifying all sources of government funding received by local governments.

The committee will also be exploring how to overcome barriers to infrastructure service delivery. It will consider trends in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, impediments to security for local government workers and the impacts of labour hire practices.

The committee will be considering whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments.

The committee said it welcomes submissions from interested organisations and individuals by February 3, 2026. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

Evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport inquiry into Local Government Sustainability of the 47th Parliament will be considered as part of this new inquiry.

 

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