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Business News Releases

New inquiry into cyber security for small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations

THE Select Committee on Cyber Security for Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Organisations has commenced work on its inquiry. 

The committee was established by the House of Representatives to inquire and report on the cyber security preparedness of small-to-medium-sized business (SMB).

Committee Chair, Sally Sitou MP, said, “Small businesses are on the frontline of cyber risk but too often they’re expected to defend themselves without the time, tools or resources they need.

“This is the first federal inquiry to take a close look at the cyber security challenges facing small-and-medium-sized businesses.”

“We want to work directly with them to understand the threats they’re up against and how we can better protect them," Ms Sitou said.

“We’re particularly keen to hear from smaller businesses - especially those with fewer than 200 employees - as well as experts across the tech sector.”

The inquiry will consider:

  1. the cyber maturity of Australian small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations, including not-for-profit organisations;
  2. the adequacy, appropriateness and accessibility of guidance provided to small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations by government in relation to cyber security;
  3. whether there are appropriate standards for small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations in relation to cyber security;
  4. the ease for small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations to procure appropriate cyber security services in Australia;
  5. the importance of training for employees on good cyber security practices to the overall cyber security of small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations;
  6. the impact of cyber security maturity on the feasibility for small-to-medium-sized businesses and organisations to participate in Government and large corporate supply chains; and
  7. any other related matters;

The committee has invited written submissions responding to the inquiry’s terms of reference by August 28 this year.

Further information is available on the inquiry webpage.

 

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Public Works Committee to visit Melbourne to examine AFP, CSIRO and ATO

NEXT WEEK, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (the committee) will visit Melbourne to conduct a series of site inspections and public hearings into three of its current inquiries:

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is proposing to fit-out its new leased premises at 949 Ann Street with office space and technical and specialist areas to replace its Northern Command Headquarters in Newstead (Qld) and Fortitude Valley (Qld). The estimated cost of the proposed works is $89.3 million (excluding GST).

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is proposing to upgrade and fit-out Building 302 at its site in Clayton (Vic) to deliver purpose-built laboratory facilities for staff relocating from its Aspendale site (Vic) The proposed works intend to support capacity for vital atmospheric and climate science at an estimated cost of $18.27 million (excluding GST).

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is proposing to fit out its new leased premises at Festival Tower 2, King William Road, Adelaide (SA) to replace its current site in the Adelaide CBD (SA). This new fit-out is intended to support continued ATO operations in Adelaide at an estimated cost of $73.4 million (excluding GST).

The committee will conduct site inspections of the CSIRO Aspendale site and AFP Southern Command (Melbourne CBD), receive a private briefing from the ATO, and conduct public hearings to examine officials from the CSIRO, AFP and ATO regarding their proposed works. The committee will also speak with members of the public who have raised concerns regarding the proposed ATO works.

Interested members of the public are encouraged to listen in to the public hearing via the APH website or attend the hearing in person at the location listed below.

Date: Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Location: Bourke Room, Mantra on Russell, 222 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Time:

  • 9am – 10:15am (AEST) – ATO
  • 11am – 11:45am (AEST) – CSIRO
  • 1:20pm – 2:05pm (AEST) – AFP

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

 

Note: the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Enquiries on these matters should be directed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

 

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Committee to review international production order scheme for sharing electronic information

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of provisions in the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (TIA Act) relating to international production orders for electronic information.

Schedule 1 to the TIA Act, which was added to the Act in July 2021, established a scheme to enhance law enforcement cooperation between Australia and a foreign country with which it has made a designated international agreement, in relation to electronic information held or controlled by communications providers.

The scheme is intended to assist Australia combat serious crimes such as terrorism, child sexual abuse and cybercrime, by enabling a pathway for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to request access to electronic data held by service providers in foreign jurisdictions and subject to foreign laws. The legislation places various conditions and requirements on the use of international production orders.

To date, one agreement has been made to facilitate international production orders – the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United States of America on Access to Electronic Data for the Purpose of Countering Serious Crime, also known as the Australia-US CLOUD Act Agreement, which entered into force on January 31, 2024.

The PJCIS is required by law to review the operation, effectiveness and implications of the international production orders provisions, five years after their commencement.

Additional information on the committee’s review may be found here.

The committee requests submissions to this review by Thursday, September 24. Submissions should be prepared solely for this inquiry and should not be published prior to being accepted by the committee.

Further information about making a submission can be found at this link.

 

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Submissions open for inquiry into Australia-Vanuatu Nakamal Agreement

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has commenced an inquiry into the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Agreement.

The Nakamal Agreement proposes to develop Australia and Vanuatu’s security relationship by creating new obligations and commitments for both parties.

These proposed obligations include Vanuatu committing to prevent its territory being used for foreign military bases and Australia increasing policing, development and disaster response assistance. The committee will investigate whether the Nakamal Agreement furthers Australia’s security interests in the Pacific.

Further information about the inquiry, including the full treaty text and National Interest Analysis, is available on the inquiry website.

The committee has invited interested individuals and organisations to make submissions addressing the Nakamal Agreement and its implications. Submissions to this inquiry are open until Wednesday, July 29, and can be lodged online via the Committee website. The Committee website also has detailed guidance on preparing and submitting submissions.

 

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Submissions Open for five treaty inquiries into customs, space and air services agreements

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has commenced inquiries into five treaty actions covering customs cooperation, space cooperation and international air services.

The committee will examine the Agreement between Australia and Canada on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, which seeks to establish arrangements for cooperation and mutual assistance between Australia and Canada’s customs authorities.

The inquiry will consider whether the agreement strengthens the Australian Border Force’s ability to manage offshore threats and risks.

The committee will also inquire into the Framework Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United States of America on Cooperation in Aeronautics and the Exploration and Use of Airspace and Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. 

The agreement aims to provide an overarching framework for governing cooperation between Australia and the United States on space activities. The committee will assess whether the agreement furthers Australia’s growing interests in the space sector.

Inquiries have also commenced into three separate Air Services Agreements (ASAs) between Australia and the following nations:

The three ASAs establish new and updated frameworks for the operation of air services between Australia and its treaty partners. The committee will examine whether the Agreements benefit Australian travellers and businesses.

Further information about each inquiry, including the full treaty text and accompanying National Interest Analysis, is available on the relevant inquiry webpages.

The committee has also invited interested individuals and organisations to make submissions addressing the treaties and their implications. Submissions to all five inquiries close on Wednesday, July 22, and can be lodged online via the Committee website. Guidance on preparing and lodging submissions is also available on the website.

 

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Defence Committee launches two inquiries

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has commenced two inquiries into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25 and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25.

One of the committee’s core functions is to review the administration and expenditure of Australian defence agencies, including their annual reports.

Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "Robust parliamentary oversight ensures capability, accountability, and public trust in Australia’s defence agencies. The commencement of these two annual report inquiries signifies the start of the Committee’s important oversight work."

Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for its inquiry into the Defence annual report:

  • Uplift of Sovereign Defence industry;

  • AUKUS Pillar I and Pillar II;

  • Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems;

  • Supersonic and hypersonic propulsion systems and related testing infrastructure.

The committee requests submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 14.

Inquiry into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for the inquiry Veterans’ Affairs annual report inquiry:

  • Departmental claims handling processes, outcomes and performance;

  • Progress on implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide;

  • Legislative harmonisation in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio;

  • Establishment and operations of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission;

The committee has requested submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 28.

More information, including the terms of reference and details on how to make a submission, can be found on the Committee’s website.

 

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Review into the listing of White Australia as a prohibited hate group

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of the listing of White Australia as a prohibited hate group under the Criminal Code.

The committee said White Australia is an Australian-based nationalist and racist extremist group. It adopted that name in 2025 and has previously been known as the National Socialist Network and European Australia Movement.

White Australia’s ideology is grounded in racism and the notion of white supremacy, the committee said. White Australia is known for promoting racist and hateful propaganda about Jewish people, Asians, Muslims, Indigenous Australians and other migrant ethnicities, for the purpose of demeaning and inciting hatred against these groups.

The prohibited hate group listing framework enables the Federal Government to list organisations that promote violence or hatred. The listing activates a range of criminal offences under Division 114B of Part 5.3B of the Criminal Code, including offences relating to membership, recruitment and the provision of funds or support for the organisation.

White Australia was listed on May 15, 2026.

Under subsection 114A.8 of the Criminal Code, the PJCIS may review a listing at any time and report its comments and recommendations to both Houses of Parliament.

Chair of the PJCIS, Senator Raff Ciccone, said, “This is the second organisation listed as a prohibited hate group under laws passed by the Australian Parliament earlier this year.

“The Parliament has established a framework to ensure organisations that promote hatred, normalise extremist rhetoric and risk social cohesion are subject to strong legal consequences.

“The committee’s review is an important safeguard. It allows the Parliament and the Australian community to scrutinise the listing and ensure the framework is operating as intended.”

Members of the public are invited to make submissions to the review by July 13, 2026.

A level paying field: Economics Committee releases report on the Australian payments sector

AUSTRALIA's payments system is fundamental to the operation of the national economy -- and Australians have never had more ways to pay.

As a nation of early adopters, Australians have been quick to embrace new payment technologies. However, global technology companies play an increasingly prominent yet opaque role in how Australians access and use payment services.

Moving from cash to card has seen a massive shift within our payments system. On average Australians use a credit or debit card 540 times a year and non-cash payments worth nearly $300 billion are made every business day.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics has today presented its report­—A Level Paying Field—for the inquiry into schemes, digital wallets and innovation in the payments sector.

This inquiry has shown Australians want and deserve to have confidence in a payment system that is simpler, competitive, transparent and delivers a fairer deal.

The inquiry received 48 submissions and heard evidence from key stakeholders at public hearings about the current state of Australia’s payment system.

The committee heard concerns regarding the growing complexity of card-related payment fees and the impact those costs can have on small businesses.

It looked at the market power of major card schemes and the increasing influence of digital wallet providers. It also considered the opportunities presented by account-to-account payment systems, emerging payment technologies and new forms of digital money such as stablecoin.

This report presents 16 recommendations aimed at reducing payment costs for consumers and small businesses, ensuring that savings are passed through to merchants and consumers, and improving oversight of the payments system. The recommendations promote more transparent fee structures, better access to payment infrastructure for new entrants in the sector, and the continued development of alternative payment methods such as account-to-account payments and stablecoins.

Committee Chair, Ed Husic MP said, "Australians deserve a simpler, easier to understand payment system, one that’s open to competition and delivers a fairer deal for small businesses and consumers.

"Strong competition often drives new ways of doing things," he said. "Equally, innovation delivers its greatest benefits when markets remain open, transparent and contestable.

"Our recommendations focus on improving competition in a payments system dominated by big players and where consumer choice has been limited.

"Consumers should have confidence that payment services are secure, affordable and competitive. Small businesses should not be disadvantaged by complexity or a lack of bargaining power."

A full copy of the report is available on the committee’swebsite.

 

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Yarning Competition winners to come to Canberra for presentation event and exhibition launch

THE winners of the 2026 Yarning Competition will visit Canberra next week for a presentation event and the launch of the Yarning Exhibition at Parliament House. ​

The Yarning Competition is about storytelling. It aims to raise awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to provide a platform for secondary school students to connect with, and learn about, the work of the Australian Parliament.​​

Students are invited to share their perspectives and stories – through creative mediums such as visual art, video, photography, essays or audio – by addressing one of four themes: Country and Connection; Identity and Culture; Family and Community; Reconciliation. ​

The judges for the 2026 competition were the Speaker of the House, Milton Dick MP, the Member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour MP; the Member for Grey, Tom Venning MP and the Member for Curtin, Kate Chaney MP. Entries were shortlisted by the Parliamentary Service Indigenous Employee Network.​

The winners of the 2026 Yarning competition are:​

  • Year 7/8: Jaide (Kalkadoon Country)​.

  • Year 9/10: Charlotte (Wiradjuri Country)​.

  • Year 11/12: Lyla (Gumbaynggirr Country)​.

The winning artworks can be found at 2026 Winners – Yarning Competition.​

The winners will travel to Canberra for the presentation event at Parliament House on Monday June 29, to be hosted by the Speaker.​

At the event, the Speaker will launch the Yarning Exhibition, in which the three winning artworks will be displayed, and all competition entries will feature. The exhibition will run until February 2027.​

“We had a record number of entries this year, with an exceptionally high calibre of talent, sharing very special stories,” Speaker Milton Dick MP said.​

Event details

Yarning Competition presentation event and exhibition launch​
Monday 29 June 2026, 11.15am to 12.15pm​
Senate side circulation area, Level 1 public area​
Parliament House, Canberra.

 

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Public Works Committee referred proposed works by ANSTO, DEWR and Defence

THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works has recently commenced three new inquiries into proposed works by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) and the Department of Defence (Defence) under the Public Works Committee Act 1969.

ANSTO is proposing a replacement of its backup power network with a new, centralised high voltage backup power network at its Lucas Heights site in New South Wales. The project seeks to deliver a new Campus Utilities Building, a new campus backup power system, and associated infrastructure elements. The estimated cost of the proposed works is $30.416 million (excluding GST).

DEWR is proposing a fit-out of its new leased premises at 40–60 London Circuit, Canberra City. The fit-out will provide DEWR and the Department of Education 46,389 m2 of modern office accommodation to consolidate their Canberra-based workforce into a single precinct while supporting long-term operational requirements and strategic objectives. The estimated cost of the proposed works is $110.641 million (excluding GST) at a rate of $2,375 per m2 (excluding GST).

Defence is proposing to deliver facilities and infrastructure at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria, to support the Future Air Mission Training System. The project includes delivery of working and training accommodation, simulation equipment and Living-In Accommodation in line with the National Defence Strategy 2026. The estimated total cost of the works is $130.8 million (excluding GST)

The committee invites interested individuals and organisations to make submissions by Thursday, August 6 for these referrals. More information is available on the inquiry websites: ANSTO, Lucas Heights, DEWR, London Central, and Defence, Air Mission.

Note: the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Enquiries on these matters should be directed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

 

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Treaties Committee recommends ratification of Australia-Uruguay Social Security Treaty

THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) has tabled a report recommending ratification of the Agreement on Social Security between Australia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

The agreement enables eligible individuals who have moved between Australia and Uruguay to qualify for social security benefits. It also allows Australians and Uruguayans to continue receiving certain social security payments when they move between the two countries.

In addition, the agreement reduces costs and administrative burden by preventing individuals and businesses from having to pay social security contributions in both countries at the same time.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP said, “Australia and Uruguay share a strong and cooperative bilateral relationship grounded in mutual respect and common interests. This agreement is an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Uruguay while delivering practical benefits to people who have lived and worked in both countries.

“The committee is satisfied that the costs to Australia will be modest and manageable, and that the agreement is consistent with Australia’s other international social security agreements.”

At the conclusion of the inquiry the committee determined that the agreement is in Australia’s national interest and has recommended that binding treaty action be taken.

The report also includes a minor treaty action relating to the Amendment to the Agreement establishing the Asian Development Bank. This amendment removes the Asian Development Bank’s lending limit, boosting its financial capacity and maximising its developmental impact.

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

 

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