The committee has made seven recommendations which provide the foundation for a new democratically elected governing body to be established on the island.
Chair of the committee, Alicia Payne MP, said, "the committee is proud to be part of the process of restoring democracy to Norfolk Island. It has recommended the creation of a new bespoke governing body comprising a majority of locally elected members working with representatives appointed by the Australian Government to deliver the best outcomes for Norfolk Islanders and Australians alike.
"Central to the committee’s recommendations is the inclusion of a preamble in the governing legislation," Ms Payne said."The purpose of this preamble is to recognise the unique culture, traditions, heritage and history of Norfolk Island, and to set out the nature of the relationship between Norfolk Island and Australia now and into the future."
Other recommendations made in the report relate to building local capacity on Norfolk Island to support the new governance arrangements, the need for broad community consultation to inform the final governance model, and for that model to be determined by a binding compulsory vote of registered voters on Norfolk Is.
The committee has recommended that the findings of its report be referred to the newly established Norfolk Island Governance Committee for further consultation with the community.
The full report can be found on the committee’s inquiry webpage.
The committee’s final report, tabled today in Parliament, makes 21 recommendations on top of the 15 made in its interim report released in June.
Committee Chair Kate Thwaites MP said, "Our electoral system is strong, but our democracy is too important to be complacent. The committee heard clear evidence of the need for reform.
‘Based on the evidence we have received, the committee has recommended reforms to improve donation transparency, address the electoral ‘arms race’ of increased spending on elections, limit the potentially corrupting influence of big money, and build public trust."
These include reaffirming recommendations made in the interim report, including:
Lowering the donation disclosure threshold to $1,000 and introducing ‘real time’ disclosure;
Introducing donation and electoral spending caps; and
Introducing truth in political advertising laws.
In addition, the committee’s final report makes further recommendations around representation, participation and other issues, including:
Improving representation – increasing Senate representation for the two territories from two to four Senators, and requesting a specific inquiry into increasing the size of the House of Representatives;
Encouraging participation and enfranchisement – making voting more accessible, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities, older Australians and Australians overseas; and
Modernising election campaign legislation, including amending the process for the distribution of postal vote applications.
Through the course of the inquiry the committee received more than 1,500 submissions and held 11 public hearings.
Further information about the inquiry, including submissions and hearing transcripts, is available on the inquiry webpage.
This is the second biannual briefing in 2023 on the status of upcoming and current free trade agreement negotiations provided by DFAT which is now part of the Committee’s regular work schedule.
The FAL Convention aims to prevent unnecessary delays in maritime traffic, aid cooperation between states and secure uniformity in formalities and procedures. The Annex to the convention contains Standards and Recommended Practices on formalities, documentary requirements and procedures that are to be applied to ships, crews, passengers, baggage, and cargo from arrival through to their departure.
The proposed changes to the Annex focus on topics such as definitions, illicit activities, digitalisation of vessel reporting requirements, identification, treatment of stowaways and public health.
Committee Chair, Josh Wilson MP said, “Australia has been a signatory to the Convention on the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic since 1986 and over time, has been an active contributor to the work of the International Maritime Organisation. If adopted, these amendments would support Australia to continue to modernise its maritime sector operations and take further steps towards full compliance with the convention.
“The amendments would lead to increased efficiencies for both industry and government and create greater opportunities for adopting new maritime technologies. This includes the standards for the adoption of the Maritime Single Window which is a digital reporting platform which will make the exchange of mandatory information between industry and government easier.”
The committee will hear from officials from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons related issues.
Armaments manufacture, procurement, and inventory.
Other issues as communicated to Defence.
Chair of the Subcommittee, Julian Hill MP, said, “The committee has decided to exercise its oversight powers and conduct a public review of the Department of Defence Annual Report 2022–23.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was the most significant hostile act against a European country since the end of World War Two," Mr Hill said. "The international community of NATO and non-NATO contributors, including Australia, are continuing to aid Ukraine’s efforts in its fight to retain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The subcommittee is interested in examining Australia’s response to this crisis; specifically, the facilitation of military aid focussed on platforms, munitions, and the contribution to Operation Kudu which is the ADF commitment to the training of armed forces of Ukraine recruits in the United Kingdom.
“A comprehensive and well-equipped health care system for our serving personnel remains a critical enabler to ensure the ADF’s warfighting preparedness. Defence is currently undergoing structural change based on the force posture requirements as detailed within the Defence Strategic Review. This is occurring at a time of significant workforce challenges, and it is through this lens that the subcommittee is interested in analysing Defence’s approach to health care, considering the recent report by the Auditor-General and current performance issues. The focus for this line of inquiry will include the general architecture of its uniformed and contracted health related capabilities, supporting both current personnel and the recruitment function, and the interrelationship with external providers.
“It is imperative that Defence can effectively identify and manage the complexities associated with material procurement and sustainment including the acceptance of new capability into service. The subcommittee is interested in reviewing Defence’s approach to capability assurance including ‘test and evaluation’ and how that impacts and informs accountability and risk identification considering case studies to identify potential systemic issues for attention.
“Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons have an ever-increasing role within militaries worldwide. From systems capable of predictive analysis, to platforms that can prosecute targets without human intervention, careful consideration is warranted as Defence continues to evolve its capabilities by integrating emerging technologies. The subcommittee is interested in examining the role of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons within the ADF and the requisite policy settings that need to account for and address relevant moral, legal, ethical, and regulatory matters within Australia and internationally. This may be informed by a case study to be identified.
“The Defence Strategic Review references the importance that Australia possesses a diverse array of munitions capable of long-range strike across the sea, land, and air domains. The government has announced plans for the rapid procurement of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HiMARS) and Precision Strike Missiles, as well as the creation of a newly appointed head of Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance.
"The subcommittee is interested in examining the plans and process for the acquisition of specific munitions from coalition partners, the requirements to enable domestic manufacturing and storage, and the comparison of current stock holdings vice what is required during high intensity conflict."
The subcommittee is inviting written submissions by Monday, 5 February 2024.
For more information about this committee, visit its website.
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