THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will on Wednesday hold a public hearing for its inquiry into the current circumstances, and the future need and potential for dispatchable energy generation and storage capability in Australia.  

Representatives from CSIRO will appear before the committee to discuss Australia’s current and future energy mix, specific dispatchable energy technologies and future frameworks that need to be considered to ensure Australia’s energy system is equipped for the future.

Committee Chair Ted O’Brien MP said, "The CSIRO is Australia’s preeminent science agency and will provide the committee with an insight into how Australia’s energy sector, combined with scientific technologies, can catalyse energy transition towards improved dispatchable energy generation and greater storage capability.

“CSIRO will be able to bring to the Committee valuable insight from their scientific research in this area,” Mr O’Brien said.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2021
Time: 10.15am to 11.15am
Location: via videoconference

Program

10.15am – 11.15am: CSIRO

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, committee proceedings held in Parliament House are not currently open to the public. The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration today presented the final report for its inquiry into Australia’s skilled migration program.

Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP said, “Over 500,000 temporary migrants have left Australia since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the lack of skilled migrants coupled with record low unemployment has led to major skill shortages in many sectors of the Australian economy.

“The government has implemented many of the recommendations the Committee made in Interim report in relation to skills shortages in the economy and their impact on the viability of businesses and their ability to create more jobs for Australians,” Mr Leeser said.

“In this report, the committee has made recommendations addressing a range of issues including a whole of government approach to address skills shortages, providing clearer pathways to permanency to and enabling the best and brightest international students to come and stay here to help us fill persistent skills shortages.

“The report also recommends a number of measures aimed at cleaning up and streamlining the skilled migration system, including consolidating the skills lists, replacing ANZSCO, providing more concessions for regional visas, improving customer service from Home Affairs and streamlining Labour Market Testing and the Skilling Australia Fund,” said Mr Leeser.

A copy of the report and more details about the inquiry are available on the committee website.

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THE Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) today launched its Corporate Plan for 2021-22, outlining its strategic objectives, goals and focus areas for the year.

To fulfil its purpose of ensuring tax practitioner services are provided to the public in accordance with appropriate ethical and professional conduct, and to prepare for the future, the TPB has set out three strategic objectives for the year: 1. Efficient registration of tax practitioners; 2. Effective compliance through education, deterrence and sanctions; and 3. Innovation and preparation for the future.

The TPB’s goals and objectives for the year have been influenced by the Federal Government’s response to the Review of the Tax Practitioners Board.

In his introductory message, the TPB chair Ian Klug AM said, "The review’s recommendations and the government’s response will result in a more effective and independent TPB, which will, in turn, enhance community confidence in our work and the tax profession.

"The TPB will continue to maintain and uphold the integrity of the tax system more broadly. This role will be enhanced by the modernisation of our enabling legislation and better alignment of our purpose and objectives with our current role, responsibilities and expectations."

Mr Klug said in addition to its own improvements, the TPB would work with fellow regulators using data-driven strategies to target high risk tax practitioners.

"This will improve the professional standards of the tax profession by investigating, sanctioning and terminating the registration of targeted high-risk tax practitioners who drive tax avoidance and evasion, create a reputational risk for the tax practitioner profession, and reduce community confidence in the integrity of the tax system," he said.

Mr Klug also said the TPB would continue to support the government’s broader financial services reforms as they implement improvements to reduce red tape and establish a single disciplinary body for the regulation of financial advisers.

The TPB Corporate Plan 2021-22 is available on the TPB website.

www.tpb.gov.au

About the Tax Practitioners Board

The Tax Practitioners Board regulates tax practitioners in order to protect consumers. The TPB aims to assure the community that tax practitioners meet appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct. Twitter @TPB_gov_au, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has commenced an inquiry into the use of alternative financing mechanisms in government expenditure, such as equity investments, loans and guarantees.

Committee Chair Lucy Wicks MP noted that the inquiry would focus on reporting in the Budget papers on programs funded through alternative approaches; reasons for programs being funded through alternative approaches; and the costs associated with different policies.

“The committee will have particular regard to the issues raised in Parliamentary Budget Office Report No. 01/2020, Alternative Financing of Government Policies,” Ms Wicks said.

The committee invites submissions to the inquiry that address the terms of reference. Public hearings will be held in the coming months.

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