THE Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hold its first public hearing tomorrow to examine how Australia makes decisions to send service personnel into international armed conflict.

The inquiry was referred by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles MP, on September 28 to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) (see Terms of Reference).

The committee will hear from witnesses advocating for both preservation of the status quo and for reform in this important area of public policy. Due to give evidence are Australians for War Powers Reform, legal scholars from academic institutions, public citizens, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Australian Defence Association, and the Australian Defence Force.

Commenting on the inquiry hearing, Defence Subcommittee Chair, Julian Hill MP said, “This public hearing will hear evidence from a range of stakeholders and witnesses to examine disparate views around the transparency and accountability of policy settings in the current exercise of these powers. The Terms of Reference also seek advice regarding the impact of any proposed policy changes on the safety and security of our Defence Force personnel.

“The Subcommittee is keen for evidence regarding the way other Westminster democracies exercise these powers, as well as examining this issue from a legal and constitutional perspective.”

Further information in relation to the inquiry is available from the JSCFADT’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday 9 December
Time: 1pm – 6.30pm ADST
Location: Committee Room 1R3 and via teleconference

The hearings will be audio streamed live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE DEFENCE Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct a public hearing this Friday, December 9, as part of its inquiry into the Auditor-General’s Report No.4 21/22 Defence’s Contract Administration Defence Industry Security Program.

Witnesses from the Australian Industry Group, and defence contractors Babcock Australasia and Leidos Australia will appear along with the Australian National Audit Office and the Department of Defence to discuss Defence’s implementation of the Auditor-General’s recommendations and suggested improvements to the program.

Chair of the Subcommittee, Julian Hill MP said, "Ensuring security requirements are met right across the defence industry supply chain is of critical importance to Australia’s national security.

"The Auditor-General raised serious concerns and Parliament is right to expect greater assurance from Defence. This is important both for current activities and also to give maximum confidence to allies and partners regarding technology transfer and the security of Australia’s defence industrial base.

“After assessing submissions from Industry and Defence, now is the time to publicly examine in depth the extant of Defence’s progress on reform of the DISP and to hear firsthand from Defence Industry of their experiences in the program.”

Public hearing details

Date: Friday 9 December
Time: 9.15am – 12pm AEDT
Location: Committee Room 1R3 and via teleconference

The hearings will be audio streamed live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme will inquire into the operation of the scheme.

This new inquiry will look closely into a range of areas, including: The experience of First Nations applicants and applicants with disability in their dealings with the scheme; and accessibility, performance and effectiveness of support services and legal advice for survivors and their advocates.

Full details of what the inquiry will examine can be found in the terms of reference on the committee’s website.

The committee wants to hear from individuals and organisations on their experience with the scheme.

Chair of the Committee, Senator Catryna Bilyk said it was imperative that the committee heard first-hand the experiences people have had when accessing the scheme.

“There are low rates of access in parts of our community amongst people who are eligible to access the scheme,” Senator Bilyk said. “We need to understand what the barriers to access are to ensure that everyone who is eligible to seek redress does so."

The committee is seeking submissions from interested individuals and organisations on the inquiry’s terms of reference by Monday, February 27, 2023.

Submissions can respond to some or all aspects of the inquiry terms of reference.

Further information about the committee is available at https://www.aph.gov.au/redress.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is travelling to the Northern Territory next week to hear from key stakeholders on the impacts of sunsetting the Stronger Futures legislation.

Hearings will be held across both Darwin and Alice Springs with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations, local community groups and government agencies.

Committee Chair Senator Patrick Dodson said, "The committee looks forward to gaining new and important insights into the issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as they prepare for and live with this significant legislative change."

"It is vital that we speak to grass roots organisations working in these NT communities to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they are confronting around safety, alcohol management, employment, and the justice system," Senator Dodson said. "The committee is also keen to learn whether there is effective communication with policymakers on ideas and possible solutions to these issues."

The hearing programs for December 7-9 are available online.

For more information about this committee and its inquiry, including the terms of reference and instructions on making a submission, visit the inquiry webpage.

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