THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit today tabled its Annual Report for 2022-23.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP, said, “Annual Reports obviously are very exciting, and tabling one in the parliament is both a delight and an annual statutory obligation of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.”

This report outlines the work the committee has undertaken in 2022–23 in accordance with its responsibilities under the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 and other relevant legislation.

The committee is an important part of the Parliament's effort to provide oversight and transparency to the work of Australian Government agencies.

The committee reviews all reports of the Australian National Audit Office and conducts inquiries where it identifies issues requiring further consideration. It determines the audit priorities of the Parliament and makes recommendations to Government on the budget estimates of the Audit Office and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

In 2022–23 the committee met 29 times and held 18 public hearings. It commenced eight inquiries and presented five reports. It also considered the budget estimates of the Audit Office and the Parliamentary Budget Office for the 2023–24 budget.

The committee’s inquiries examined a broad range of topics, including Foreign Affairs and Trade’s crisis management arrangements; Commonwealth procurement, administration of Commonwealth grants; the 2021–22 Commonwealth financial statements; and Defence major projects.

Mr Hill said, “I would like to thank those who were members of the committee in 2022–23 for the spirit in which they approached the committee's work and the dedication they applied to it.

“Finally, the committee secretariat deserve lashings of praise for the outstanding quality of the work they do and their professionalism. This includes the staff of the Parliament and the highly valued secondees from the Australian National Audit Office.”

The report and further information about the committee is available on the Committee website.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth will hold a public hearing in Melbourne on Friday, November 3, for its inquiry into the Australian Government's approach to negotiating trade and investment agreements.

The committee will hear from stakeholders including unions, the red meat industry, business associations and the Productivity Commission.

This builds on the hearings recently held in Canberra with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, agriculture peak bodies, animal welfare organisations, cultural industries representatives, and academics among others.

The inquiry is focussing on how the Australian Government develops a negotiating mandate and framework that reflects whole of government priorities, as well as priorities for State and Territory Governments, businesses and workers, including processes for consultation. It is also considering how to ensure agreements advance Australia’s national and cultural interests, and that First Nations Australians can participate and benefit in trade.

Committee Chair, Steve Georganas MP said, "The committee has received a high number of quality submissions to the inquiry and is looking forward to hearing further from key stakeholders to understand how the approach taken to negotiating trade and investment agreements could be improved to ensure these agreements are of greatest benefit to the Australian community."

Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, published submissions and hearing transcripts, are available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 3 November 2023
Time: 9.30am to 3.20pm (AEDT)
Location: Legislative Council Committee Room 1, Parliament House, Melbourne

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

The Committee intends to hold more public hearings in due course.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has presented its advisory report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023.

The Bill would amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 to:

• create offences for publicly displaying prohibited Nazi or Islamic State symbols, and trading in items bearing these symbols;
• create offences for using a carriage service to deal with violent extremist material;
• strengthen the offence of advocating terrorism; and
• remove the three-year sunsetting of terrorist organisation listings, so that listings would operate until a decision is made to proactively de-list an organisation.

The committee made a number of recommendations to amend the Bill including:

• removal of the specific reference to the Islamic State flag as a prohibited hate symbol, instead prohibiting symbols associated with all proscribed terrorist organisations; and
• delaying the entry into force of offences for the trading of items bearing a prohibited symbol for a period of 6-12 months, so that collectors have a window in which to dispose of part or all of their collections if they wish.

The committee concluded that, subject to the amendments it has recommended, the Bill should be passed by the Parliament.

PJCIS Chair, Peter Khalil MP, said, “The committee supports measures that prohibit the public display and trade of symbols that represent ideologies of hatred, violence and racism; which cause significant harm to many Australians. These ideologies are incompatible with Australia’s multicultural and democratic society.”

Further information on the inquiry as well as a copy of the report can be obtained from the Committee’s website.   

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DISTINGUISHED political journalist Michelle Grattan AO will deliver this year’s Speaker’s Lecture on October 30 at Parliament House.

At a time where many are disillusioned with politics, Ms Grattan’s speech will explore how the political system is letting down the Australian public and how it can do better.

As one of Australia's most respected political analysts, Ms Grattan has been at the forefront of political reporting for five decades. Throughout this time, she has covered some of the most significant stories in federal politics and has become a trusted figure in Australian journalism.

Ms Grattan has written for many of Australia’s masthead newspapers and is currently a professorial fellow at the University of Canberra and chief political correspondent at The Conversation. She is the author, co-author and editor of several books and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004 for her service to Australian journalism.

“Australian journalists are an important part of our democracy. I was so honoured when Ms Grattan accepted my invitation to deliver this years’ lecture. Ms Grattan is one of the country’s most experienced journalists and I am really looking forward to her thought-provoking lecture,” Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP said.

Ms Grattan will be introduced by the Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Claressa Surtees. A Q&A session will be held after Ms Grattan’s speech.

The Speaker’s Lecture will be broadcast live on the APH website. Members of the public are also invited to attend in person (RSVP required).

Speaker’s Lecture 2023

Topic: Is the political system letting down the Australian public?
Date: Monday 30 October 2023
Venue: Theatre, Parliament House, Canberra
Time: 12pm – 1pm (AEDT)
Watch live: www.aph.gov.au/live

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