ON FRIDAY, February 5, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will hold a public hearing on the development, approval and distribution processes for COVID-19 vaccines.

The hearing forms part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia.

The committee will hear evidence from the Department of Health’s Secretary, Professor Brendan Murphy, and Deputy Secretary, Adjunct Professor John Skerritt. It will also hear from Associate Professor Christopher Blyth and Professor Allen Cheng, co-chairs of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

The chair of the committee, Trent Zimmerman MP, said, "The race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has brought unprecedented attention, not just to Australian processes but also to other countries’ processes, as to how new drugs and medical technologies are developed, approved and distributed.  The development of COVID-19 vaccines represents one of the great triumphs of scientific endeavour.

"The success of the vaccination program in Australia is vital to the health and well-being of all Australians so this will be an important opportunity for the Committee to receive advice from Australia’s top health officials on the government’s plans and the status of vaccine assessments. 

"The committee hopes both to increase public awareness of how COVID-19 vaccines are being developed, approved and distributed, and to draw on useful lessons learned for the future development and approval of new drugs and medical technologies," Mr Zimmerman said.   

Further information about the committee’s inquiry including the full terms of reference are available at the Committee’s website. To listen to the audio live streaming click here.

Public Hearing Program - Friday 5 February

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THE Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee has extended the time to make submissions for its inquiry into the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018.

"There will be a two week extension for the community to have its say, with submissions now closing on Wednesday, 17 February 2021," committee chair Senator James McGrath announced.

Senator McGrath noted that the committee will examine the operation of the amendments, dealing with foreign donations; the clarity of public guidance products issued by regulators; and the impacts of amendments to the original bill that are relevant to charitable issue-based advocacy.

The committee is inviting written submissions addressing any or all of the terms of reference. Information on how to make a submission may be found at this link. The Committee is due to report by 31 May 2021.

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PRIOR to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100,000 migrants entered Australia under the skilled migration program each year. These migrants play an important role in filling gaps in the Australian workforce and will continue to do so in future.

Joint Standing Committee on Migration Chair Julian Leeser MP said the new inquiry into Australia’s skilled migration program was an important opportunity to examine the broad settings behind the program.

“The COVID-19 pandemic gives us a chance to consider how current skilled migration settings are serving Australia’s needs now and into the future,” Mr Leeser said.

“The Committee will consider how we attract entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and highly skilled migrants to make Australia their first choice to invest, establish businesses and create jobs.”

“Australia’s excellent health and economic response allows us to attract great entrepreneurs and skilled people looking to relocate. We want them to see Australia as the best place to establish a business with our safe, highly functioning democracy, good health and economic systems and the rule of law.” Mr Leeser said.

Mr Leeser is encouraging people to contribute to the process. Submissions responding to terms of reference 1(a) and 2 will be accepted until 1 March 2021, while submissions addressing the remaining terms of reference will be accepted until 31 March 2021.

More details on the inquiry are available on the Committee website.

The terms of reference for the inquiry are:

The Joint Standing Committee on Migration shall inquire into and report on Australia’s skilled migration program, with reference to:

1. The purpose of the skilled migration program and whether it is meeting its intended objectives, including:

a) If any immediate adjustments are necessary in the context of the future of work and pandemic recovery; and

b) If more long-term structural changes are warranted;

2. Australia’s international competitiveness in attracting entrepreneurs, venture capital, start-ups, and the best and brightest migrants with cutting edge skills;

3. Skills lists and the extent to which they are meeting the needs of industries and businesses and keeping pace with Australia’s job landscape;

4. The administrative requirements for Australian businesses seeking to sponsor skilled migrants, including requirements to prioritise job opportunities for Australians and job creation;

5. The costs of sponsorship to businesses seeking to sponsor skilled migrants;

6. The complexity of Australia’s skilled migration program including the number of visa classes under the program and their requirements, safeguards and pathways; and

7. Any other related matters.

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THE House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has launched an inquiry into adult literacy and its importance.

Committee chair, Andrew Laming MP, said, "Many adult Australians have poor literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills and this may limit their ability to participate fully in employment, education and training, and social and civic life. 

"The committee’s previous inquiry into remote education found that poor adult literacy can also negatively impact on children’s participation and attainment in education," Mr Laming said.

"The committee is interested in hearing how measures to improve adult literacy can foster greater labour market participation, increased productivity, improved education outcomes for children, and improvements to individual and community well-being."

The inquiry will examine adult literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in Australia, including:

• The relationship between adult literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills and socio-demographic characteristics, particularly migrant status, First Nations status and individuals living in households that have experienced intergenerational unemployment;
• The effect that literacy and numeracy skills have on an individual’s labour force participation and wages;
• Links between literacy and social outcomes such as health, poverty, ability to care for other family members and participation in civic life;
• The relationship between parents’ literacy skills and their children’s education and literacy skill development from birth to post-secondary education;
• Whether changes to schooling in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 will have a disproportionate impact on the skill development of those children of parents with lower literacy and numeracy levels, and consider appropriate remediation programs which might address this;
• The availability, impact and effectiveness of adult literacy and numeracy educational programs in Australia and internationally; and,
• International comparisons of government policies and programs that may be adapted to the Australian experience.

Submissions to the inquiry have been requested by Friday, March 5, 2021. Further details about upcoming public hearings will be available on the Committee’s website as the inquiry progresses.

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