THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will hold the first public hearing for its inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia on Thursday May 23..

Committee Chair, Kate Thwaites MP, said, "It’s concerning that many young Australians don’t have the grounding in civics to set them up to be confident participants in our democracy.

"Data from the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship shows that in 2019 just 38 percent of year 10 students and 53 percent of year six students achieved the ‘proficient’ standard.

"As we begin our inquiry, the committee will be investigating how civics forms part of the Australian curriculum. We will also be examining the importance of media literacy, and listening to the voices of young people about how best to improve civics education.

"The committee will engage with young people, along with people in remote communities, new migrants and culturally and linguistically diverse Australians, to ensure that everyone in Australia is able to participate fully in our democratic system."

The committee wants to hear from a wide range of people interested in the inquiry’s terms of reference. Submissions can be made through the inquiry website.

Public hearing details

Date:               Thursday 23 May 2024
Time:              10am – 4pm (Canberra time)
Location:      Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra
Witnesses:  Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority
                           Department of Education
                           Office for Youth
                           Australian Media Literacy Alliance
                           Australian Electoral Commission
                           Foundation for Young Australians
                           Australian Council for Student Voice
                           Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Tudball
                           Dr Zareh Ghazarian
                           Associate Professor Tanya Notley
                           Dr Keith Heggart

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

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will hold a public hearing for its review of the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Declared Areas) Bill 2024 (Declared Areas Bill) today, May 20.

Counter-terrorism provisions within the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Criminal Code) include the ability for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ‘declare’ an area, making it a potential offence, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, for an Australian citizen, resident or visa-holder to enter or remain in the area. The declared areas offence is presently due to sunset in September 2024.

The committee has invited government and non-government representatives to its hearing to discuss the Declared Areas Bill, which primarily aims to continue the declared areas offence and related provisions in the Criminal Code for a further three years.

Committee Chair, Peter Khalil MP, said, "The committee has received mixed evidence regarding the declared areas offence. We look forward to hearing from a range of government and non-government witnesses to inform our review and report to Parliament."

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

The Committee’s website has a full program for the hearing, and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

Public hearing

Monday, 20 May 2024
11:30am – 2:30pm AEST
Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra, and via videoconference.

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ON THURSDAY May 23, the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources will hold a day of public hearings in Sydney as part of its inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia.

This will be the first of several public hearings the committee will hold across the country to hear from a range of stakeholders, including those from the food and beverage industry, processing, packaging, and recycling businesses, and the research and development sector.

Committee Chair, Rob Mitchell MP, said, “Australian food and beverage products are globally trusted for quality and safety. The public hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to hear about industry needs and aspirations, and discuss what kind of support is needed for Australian food and beverage manufacturers to continue to innovate and grow.”

The committee will conduct further public hearings between late May to August 2024. Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, is available on the committee’s website: aph.gov.au/isr.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Time: 9am to 3pm  (AEST)
Location: Mercure Sydney, Wynyard Suite, 818-820 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Witnesses: Veolia, Tetra Pak, Opal, Australian Council of Recycling, Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Diageo Australia, Archie Rose, Hickson House Distilling Co., Vow, Cauldron Molecules.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing today, May 20, for its inquiry into the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Fiji on Cooperation in the Field of Defence and the Status of Visiting Forces.

Committee Chair, Josh Wilson MP, said the agreement ‘"would recognise Fiji as a key strategic defence partner of Australia, build on the longstanding defence and broader bilateral relationship between our two countries, and further our shared vision for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region".

"The agreement would enable more frequent and sophisticated defence cooperation between Australia and Fiji," Mr Wilson said. "This includes working together on maritime security issues, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, co-deployments and the training of military personnel.

"The agreement would provide a comprehensive, reciprocal and legally binding framework for the status of visiting forces and civilians, and information sharing between the two countries.’

The committee will hear from officials from the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Human Rights Watch.

Public hearing details

Date:               Monday, 20 May 2024
Time:               3:15 pm approximately
Location:         Committee Room 1R4

The hearing can be accessed online and the program is available on the Committee’s website, along with further information about the inquiry.

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