THE Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories has today released its report for its inquiry into local governance on Norfolk Island.

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.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing today for its inquiry into the Amendments to the Annex of the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965 (FAL Convention).

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. 

Public hearing details 

Date:               Monday 27 November 2023
Time:              11am (AEDT)
Location:        Committee Room 2R1

The hearing can be accessed online and the program is available on the Committee website, along with further information about the inquiry.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has concluded its inquiry into the 2022 election, making recommendations for reforms to improve donation transparency, reduce the influence of big money, and strengthen trust and participation in Australia's elections.

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.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will receive a public briefing today from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Topics covered during the briefing will potentially include:

• Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement.
• Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
• Any other relevant matters.

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.  

Public briefing details 

Date:               Monday 27 November 2023
Time:               approx. 11:40am (AEDT)
Location:         Committee Room 2R1

The public briefing can be accessed online. Further information about the committee can be found on the Committee website.

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