THE Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade through its Trade Subcommittee is continuing its public hearing program for its inquiry into strengthening Australia’s trade and investment relations with Africa.

Witnesses for the subcommittee’s public hearing will include the Australian Border Force under the Department of Home Affairs portfolio, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, an African nation Head of Mission representative, peak bodies and African community groups, and experts.

Chair of the Trade Subcommittee, Fiona Phillips MP, said, "The subcommittee will be hearing from witnesses with a range of insights across Australia and Africa’s trade and investment footprint. We look forward to exploring both opportunities and challenges in emerging industries such as agribusiness and climate resilience, and the important role of our African communities, NGOs, and education sector in fostering collaborative and enduring partnerships.

"The hearing will also examine the role of Australia’s tariff preference system in facilitating trade, opportunities to expand economic engagement under the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, and the importance of policy frameworks to underpin Australia’s economic engagement," she said

‘There is increasing global interest in African nations as economic partners, and it is vitally important for Australia to understand the varying aspects of the trade and investment landscape between our two continents at the regional level, the regulatory environments, emerging markets, existing levers, and the integral role of the African diaspora communities and education sector in shaping and facilitating trade. We look forward to expanding on the suggested recommendations presented in the submissions."

Evidence provided by the witnesses will be integral to informing the subcommittee’s understanding of the breadth of issues under the inquiry.

The subcommittee will be scheduling further public hearings over the coming months.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Friday, 13 March 2026 
Time: 9am – 1:20pm (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra ACT and via videoconference

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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TODAY (Thursday March 12 2026) the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for its inquiry into the role of Australia's international development program in preventing conflict.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, the Tim Watts MP, said, "Australia’s international development program provides vital assistance to help build a peaceful and stable future for the Indo-Pacific region.

"The subcommittee looks forward to hearing from representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to their role as the primary government agency administering Australia’s overseas development program.

‘Today's hearing will allow the subcommittee to hear directly from DFAT officials on a range of issues relevant to the inquiry terms of reference, including conflict prevention capability and expertise within DFAT and across government, and Australia’s approach to overseas development in a shifting global aid landscape."

Further information, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Thursday 12 March 2026
Time: 8–9am (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding will hear from Jobs and Skills Australia tomorrow.

The committee wants to better understand labour market conditions, workforce skills, and training needs across Australia, in the context of local government financial sustainability.

Committee Chair, Fiona Phillips, said, "The committee is particularly interested in hearing about trends in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce in the local government sector, including impacts of labour hire practices.”

Jobs and Skills Australia’s 2025 Recruitment Experiences and Outlook Survey found that 58 percent of employers in remote and very remote Australia reported difficulty recruiting in their most recent recruitment rounds. Common problems included distance, competition for workers, and lack of housing.

In regional Australia, the biggest issue was often a shortage of suitable candidates.

Jobs and Skills Australia reported that an ageing workforce, ongoing skills shortages in key roles, and heightened recruitment challenges outside major cities were increasing pressure on the capacity of local governments to deliver services. These challenges are made worse by regional labour market conditions which require localised and tailored solutions.

The committee also wants to look at the issues identified by the agency in its Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia – Phase 1 report (released in July 2025). The report shows that the skills needs of regional and remote areas are often different from those of major cities, and that future skills lists should more explicitly reflect these differences.

The committee will examine the barriers local governments face in building and maintaining a sustainable workforce, and opportunities to improve productivity and coordination of local government.

Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing

Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade through its Trade Subcommittee will hold a public hearing with Austrade for its inquiry into strengthening Australia’s trade and investment relations with Africa. 

Chair of the Trade Subcommittee, Fiona Phillips MP, said, "Austrade plays a valuable role in the trade and investment environment by supporting Australian businesses to expand and diversify in international markets. Australian businesses rely on Austrade’s expertise to provide advice on opportunities, market entry, and local business practices to engage with African markets. Austrade is therefore positioned to provide the Subcommittee with valuable insights into its terms of reference."

Austrade’s evidence will provide important context to the subcommittee concerning the current trade and investment landscape between Australia and African nations. Crucially, Austrade's evidence will inform the subcommittee's understanding of the Australian Government’s role in assisting Australian businesses to identify opportunities to diversify to specific African markets, and the government's future policy objectives to support mutually beneficial trade and investment.

The subcommittee will continue its public hearings with a half-day hearing on Friday, March 13. The public hearing program will be released later this week.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026 
Time: 10am – 11am (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2S1, Parliament House, Canberra ACT

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries is conducting an inquiry into factors shaping social licence and economic development outcomes for critical minerals projects across Australia and is seeking written submissions to guide the inquiry’s findings.

The inquiry has already received more than 50 submissions from a range of stakeholders, but the committee is keen to hear from more individuals and organisations, especially those operating directly in the critical minerals field and communities with an interest in or who are impacted by critical mineral developments.

Committee Chair, Meryl Swanson, said. "We have heard from miners, farmers, local governments, community organisations, Indigenous organisations and academics—some highlighting the benefits of critical minerals, others raising concerns about the potential impacts of mining on other industries and communities.

‘The committee is looking to get as comprehensive a picture as possible about how to maximise the benefits of critical minerals to Australia while minimising the impacts. We need to hear from as many interested stakeholders as possible to get the clearest picture of the best way forward," Ms Swanson said.

The committee has extended the closing date for written submissions responding to the terms of reference to Tuesday, March 31 2026. Submissions are encouraged from a wide range of stakeholders, including government, peak bodies and mining companies, local communities, Indigenous bodies and academic experts.

More information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and details on making a submission, can be found on the inquiry website.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science will hold public hearings in Canberra on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 and Wednesday, 11 March 2026 as part of its inquiry into the current state of the Australian tyre industry, and any challenges and opportunities for the industry within the context of a circular economy.

Committee Chair, Rob Mitchell MP, said, "The Committee appreciates all who made a submission to the inquiry. We look forward to unpacking the issues raised in submissions in more detail at public hearings over the coming months.

"At our first public hearing on 4 March, the Committee will hear from two key Commonwealth government agencies: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, as the Australian Government lead on supporting the transition to a circular economy; Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, as the agency responsible for authorising Tyre Stewardship Australia to deliver the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme.

"The following week, on 11 March, we will hear from the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association, the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and the Australian Local Government Association, with the aim of getting a broad understanding of the current issues facing the Australian tyre industry, product stewardship schemes and local governments."

More information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and submissions, can be found on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Time: 8:15am – 10am (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R2, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Time: 8am – 10am (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 2R2, Parliament House, Canberra

Programs for each public hearing are available on the inquiry website.

Public hearings are broadcast live on the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal.

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Chair of the Trade Subcommittee, Fiona Phillips MP, said, “The first Subcommittee public hearing will be with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In this public hearing, the Subcommittee will seek to gather evidence on its five terms of reference.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade plays a key role in Australia’s trade and investment policy, as its responsibilities involve working with international partners to increase trade and investment opportunities. DFAT’s insights will, therefore, be of great value to the Subcommittee as it initiates its public hearings.

“Evidence provided by DFAT will serve to provide the Subcommittee a strong basis of understanding of the issues this inquiry seeks to examine. This will be important to the Subcommittee as it continues its evidence gathering in future public hearings.’”

The Subcommittee will schedule further public hearings soon, commencing with a Roundtable with African diplomatic representatives on Friday, 6 March.

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THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) today told the Senate Select Committee on the Operation of the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Discount that targeting property investors will do nothing to ease the pressure on homeowners or renters.

“Housing supply is the core issue driving Australia’s housing crisis. The only real solution is to build enough homes to meet demand,”  HIA managing director, Jocelyn Martin said.

“Whether you are concerned about home ownership, rental affordability, government revenue or fairness between investors and owner occupiers, the answer is the same: build more homes. 

“If you want lower prices, you need more homes.

“If you want lower rents, you need more rental stock.

“If you want stronger public finances, you need more construction activity.”

Ms Martin said new housing already carries a significant tax burden, meaning every additional home built generates around $200,000 in direct tax revenue.

“If governments want more revenue from housing, they should focus on building more homes. More homes mean more revenue and slower house price growth. More homes also reduce returns to investors and will see them leave the housing market for other opportunities in an orderly way," Ms Martin said.

HIA’s submission to the inquiry sets out modelling showing that removing or restricting negative gearing or the CGT discount would reduce dwelling starts, reduce GDP, reduce construction employment and increase rents over time.

“With investors financing around one‑third to 40 per cent of all new dwellings in Australia, they are part of the supply solution – not the problem," Ms Martin said.

“There is a tendency to assume that raising taxes on investors will improve opportunities for younger Australians. But restricting supply only locks in capital gains for existing owners and limits entry for those who come after. It would entrench today’s inequities for decades.

“Fewer homes mean fewer jobs, fewer taxpayers, higher rents and a greater reliance on investors in the housing market,” Ms Martin said.

Read HIA’s opening statement. 

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