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Treaties Committee reports on the minimum age convention

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties has recommended the Australian Government ratifies the International Labour Organization Convention No. 138: Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (the Convention).

Committee Chair, Josh Wilson MP said, “The purpose of the convention is to effectively abolish child labour by ensuring that the right of children to attend school will be protected; that types of economic activity that may be undertaken by children will be regulated; and that children’s health, safety and morals will be protected."

The convention contains three key obligations: a requirement to specify the age of completion of compulsory schooling as the minimum age for admission to employment or work (in any case not less than 15 years); a requirement to establish 18 years as the minimum age for hazardous work (or 16 years if certain protections are in place); and a requirement to specify the conditions where children no younger than 13 years may undertake light work.

The flexible framework provided by the convention means members with varied legal systems can ensure their compliance with its obligations. While there is not a single prohibition against child labour in Australia, the committee agreed that in effect it is prevented through the combination of education, employment, and workplace health and safety legislation.

Children across jurisdictions in Australia will continue to be permitted to undertake light work where the available evidence suggests such work is undertaken in beneficial circumstances without impact on their health and wellbeing.

“Ratification would add to Australia’s existing strong framework for the education and safe employment of young people," Mr Wilson said.

“One way it would achieve this is through reporting requirements to the International Labour Organization (ILO). One year after the convention enters into force, Australia would submit a report on its compliance. Every three years, Australia would then report to an ILO committee of experts for an impartial and technical evaluation. In essence, we would be held to the commitments we have signed up to.

“By becoming party to this convention, we would join a large part of the international community. Importantly, it would lend credibility to Australia in promoting strong measures to eliminate child labour in the Asia-Pacific," Mr Wilson said.

The committee expressed that it looked forward to receiving a copy of Australia’s first report on compliance with the convention.

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

 

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Audit committee commences inquiries into Defence Major Projects and Annual Performance Statements

THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced two inquiries into important areas of public sector accountability as part of its examination of Auditor-General’s reports.

The Auditor-General's reports on Defence Major Projects and on Audits of the Annual Performance Statements of Australian Government Entities are critical accountability mechanisms for the expenditure of public funds and operation of Government Departments.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP said the performance statements audits were a new function of the Australian National Audit Office intended to drive improvements in the transparency, reliability and quality of performance reporting across government. The inquiry into the Audit of Annual Performance Statements for 2021-22 (Auditor-General Report No. 13 of 2022-23) is a chance for the JCPAA to examine the performance and annual reporting of six Government Departments and to consider the Auditor-General’s findings in the first year of the performance statement audit process.

The inquiry into the Major Projects Reports (Auditor-General Report No. 13 of 2021-22 and Auditor-General Report No. 12 of 2022–23) will also allow the JCPAA to review the cost, progress and technical attributes of major Defence acquisitions over recent years.

"This is the is the first opportunity that the committee has had since the 2022 Federal Election to consider the Major Projects Reports, so there are two years’ worth of reports to be examined in this inquiry,” Mr Hill said. “We will also be specifically considering the scope and guidelines for Defence Major Project Reports to ensure that they are fit for purpose into the future.”

The committee has invited submissions addressing the terms of reference of these inquiries by Friday, April 21, 2023. Details of the inquiries – including the terms of reference and upcoming public hearings – will be made available on the Committee website.

 

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Workforce Australia Committee turns its focus to the employment services system

HAVING TABLED its interim report into ParentsNext, the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services will turn its attention to the broader employment services system during a public hearing in Melbourne on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

The Committee will hear from a range of witnesses including academic experts, peak and advocacy bodies, think tanks, and providers of Workforce Australia and government and non-government programs.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP said, "I want to reiterate that this will be a comprehensive, first-principles review. Nothing is off the table.

"There is strong evidence that employment services have failed to invest in jobseekers and to support them into sustainable employment. The committee has also heard that the system has caused harm to many of those it is intended to support and has neglected the needs of employers during a period of increased workforce demand."

"Over the coming months, the committee will conduct public hearings and site visits to explore employment service and alternative programs. We want to ensure we hear from as diverse a range of stakeholders as possible so that we can make sensible, evidence-based recommendations to optimise employment services in the future."

Submissions are requested by March 17, 2023.

Community consultation sessions

Members of the committee will be participating in community consultation sessions facilitated by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence on Monday, April 3, 2023. The sessions — which will be in-person in the Melbourne CBD and online for anyone to attend nationally — are an opportunity for people with lived experience of employment services to share their stories and make suggestions for reform. Thos people who want to participate in one of these sessions can register interest at the link below.

Community consultation sessions: register your interest.

Further information about the inquiry, including Terms of Reference, future public hearings, published submissions and hearing transcripts, are available on the inquiry website.

Public hearing details

Date             14 March 2023Time             9am – 5pm AEDTLocation       Room G.6, Victorian Parliament House, Springer Street, East MelbourneWitnesses    Professor Jeff Borland                      Professor Mark Considine                      Associate Professor Siobhan O’Sullivan                      Professor Gaby Ramia                      Dr Michael McGann                      Brotherhood of St Laurence                      Centre for Policy Development                      Per Capita                      National Employment Services Association                      Jobs Australia                      Jobs Victoria                      APM Employment                      IntoWork Australia                      Jobfind Centres Australia

The hearing will be live broadcast via the Parliament’s Watch, Read, Listen website.

 

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ACNC confirms it is investigating Hillsong

AUSTRALIA’s national charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has confirmed it is investigating concerns raised about Hillsong Church. 

ACNC Commissioner Sue Woodward said it was extremely rare that the ACNC commented on matters under investigation, however she has used her discretion to correct the record following statements in the Australian Parliament on Friday. 

“Although it was stated in Parliament that the ACNC has not acted, I can confirm that we are investigating concerns raised about Hillsong Church charities. Hillsong has stated publicly that it is fully cooperating with regulatory authorities,” Ms Woodward said.  

Further, Ms Woodward said the ACNC has not received a whistleblower disclosure, despite a claim made under Parliamentary privilege that it had.  

“If a whistleblower of a charity wants protection, or is concerned about possible harm as a result of making a disclosure, they must raise concerns with an agency deemed to be an eligible recipient," she said. "The ACNC is not an eligible recipient and we are not able to provide protection.

“Anyone can raise a concern about a charity with the ACNC. No matter where a concern originates, we use a standard independent process to review its details and, if necessary, we conduct an investigation. Any investigation we undertake must be thorough, comprehensive and consistent with our approach to all investigations. They can be complex and take time to complete.” 

The ACNC provides Whistleblower Protection guidance that outlines the procedures that a whistleblower can follow. 

The ACNC regulates 60,000 registered charities, listed on the Charity Register.

 

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Qantas engineering academy addresses just one part of black hole in aviation skills and manufacturing - ETU

THE Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has welcomed Qantas’s announcement today of a new engineering academy to combat skills shortages and train aviation engineers for highly skilled roles.

However, the ETU said the move "should be part of a larger national plan to reignite onshore manufacturing in the aviation and defence industries".

“We need a national and holistic approach to the capability gaps in the aviation industry, especially one that includes avionics manufacturing," ETU acting national secretary Michael Wright said.

"There are enormous opportunities to grasp in aviation, space and defence, but we need a high skill base underpinned by secure careers. As a country, we need to be self-reliant, and the Engineering Academy is a big first step in attaining this.”

Qantas, and the broader industry, must also guarantee secure well-paid careers to boost the workforce, Mr Wright said.

He said it was "the perfect opportunity for Qantas to invest in developing skilled workers and commit to retaining its highly skilled workforce by creating secure, well-paid positions".

Mr Wright said secure employment was "the bedrock of skills development" and the Qantas Group had the chance to directly employ the trainee engineers and ensure the Engineering Academy provided the best possible training for new entrants.

The ETU spokesperson said the new Academy was a step in the right direction to address the looming capability gap in Australian aviation, space, and defence industries, particularly in avionics manufacturing.

"The ETU will work productively with Qantas to fix these gaps and develop strategies to encourage avionic components manufacturing here in Australia," Mr Wright said.

 

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