THE Indigenous Affairs Committee will be holding public hearings in Perth, Broome, Newman and Warmun between 9 and 11 April 2018, for its inquiry into the growing presence of inauthentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘style’ art and craft products and merchandise for sale across Australia.

Perth public hearing details

Time:    09.00–13.20

Date:     Monday, 9 April 2018

Location:      Subiaco room, Four Points by Sheraton, 707 Wellington St, Perth

Broome public hearing details

Time:    09.00–11.00

Date:     Tuesday, 10 April 2018

Location:      Boardroom, Kimberley Sands Resort & Spa, 10 Murray Rd, Broome

Newman public hearing details

Time:    16.00–16.40

Date:     Tuesday, 10 April 2018

Location:      East Pilbara Arts Centre, Newman Dr, Newman

Warmun public hearing details

Time:    15.00–15.40

Date:     Wednesday, 11 April 2018

Location:      Warmun Art Centre, Warmun Aboriginal Community, Great Northern Highway, Warmun

www.aph.gov.au/IndigenousAffairs

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OPEN SOURCE Industry Australia (OSIA) today welcomed the Senate's move yesterday to call an inquiry into the "Comprehensive & Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership" (CPTPP). The inquiry, to be conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (References Committee) will provide much needed perspective on this controversial and divisive treaty.

OSIA previously lodged a submission to the References Committee's 2016 TPP inquiry[1]. "Fifteen of the 27 issues we raised with the Senate Committee in 2016 still remain to the same extent in CPTPP", said OSIA Company Secretary Jack Burton. "The other twelve are only addressed temporarily by the 22 suspensions in CPTPP." OSIA will be lodging a submission to the Senate's new inquiry in due course.

Senators Griff & Patrick led the move to call the inquiry. "We commend the NXT Senators on taking the initiative to examine this troublesome treaty more closely", said OSIA Chairman Mark Phillips.

In 2015, Nick Xenophon himself described TPP as a "dud deal"[2], but he was not the only politician to criticise TPP strongly. Bob Katter called TPP the "greatest blow to democracy in 300 years"[3], Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson described it as "dangerous & undemocratic"[4] and at the time even the ALP's Melissa Parke described TPP's investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions as "really scary"[5].

Yesterday, only LNP Senator James McGrath sought to scuttle the inquiry, which he described as "unnecessary", citing as evidence DFAT's National Interest Analysis (NIA) and the 2016 JSCOT report[6].

What Sen. McGrath neglected to mention is that NIAs simply aren't credible. As Burton said in his evidence before the 2016 JSCOT inquiry[7], "one would always expect an assessment prepared by the agency that negotiated a treaty to be in fairly glowing terms. To be of much probative use, it would be essential that economic analysis be undertaken on an arms-length basis by an independent body---perhaps by the Productivity Commission".

In 2016 JSCOT too was far from achieving consensus on TPP. Whilst the report of the majority government members supported ratifying TPP, the dissenting report of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was scathing of the treaty as a whole and the "additional comments" of the six ALP members of JSCOT were at best luke-warm on issues such as ISDS and labour market testing.

The 2016 Senate References Committee inquiry held no public hearings, preferring to receive only formal submissions. "We hope that this year's inquiry will not be so restricted," continued Phillips, "OSIA calls upon the References Committee to open the doors of its 2018 inquiry through public hearings."

References
[1] Burton, J. & Foxworthy, P., Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence & Trade regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership, Open Source Industry Australia, 29 Oct 2016. Available at http://osia.com.au/f/osia_sub_201610_sscfadt.pdf
[2] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-06/pacific-nation-ministers-negotiators-lock-in-tpp-trade-deal/6829368
[3] https://www.bobkatter.com.au/media/letters/view/604/tpp-a-blow-to-democracy-just-corporate-colonialism-says-katter/media-releases
[4] https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/secretive-tpp-trades-away-future-says-whish-wilson,7172
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/22/labor-greens-and-crossbenchers-concerned-at-trans-pacific-partnership
[6] https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties/TransPacificPartnership/Report_165
[7] C'th, Official Committee Hansard, Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Trans-Pacific Partnership (public), 2016, p. 30. Available at http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/commjnt/a6fa4bc7-9c2e-4788-9378-e676fc0a3f53/toc_pdf/Joint%20Standing%20Committee%20on%20Treaties_2016_10_07_4491_Official.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf

About OSIA
Open Source Industry Australia Ltd (OSIA) represents & promotes the Australian open source software industry by:

• Ensuring that the Australian business, government and education sectors derive sustainable financial and competitive advantage through the adoption of open source and open standards;

• Helping Australian Governments to achieve world leadership in providing a policy framework supportive of open standards and of the growth and success of the Australian open source industry; and

• Ensuring Australia's global standing as the preferred location from which to procure open source services & products.

OSIA's members are organisations in Australia who invest in or build their future on the unique advantages of open source software.

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) notes the final report from the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport regarding the Inquiry into the Use and Marketing of Electronic Cigarettes and Personal Vaporisers in Australia but still calls on the Government to legalise e-cigarettes.

Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the ARA, said the ARA’s submission to the Inquiry called for retailers to be permitted to legally sell electronic cigarettes following substantial evidence of people wanting a less harmful product.

“To-date, research has shown that electronic cigarettes are an effective and less-harmful alternative to traditional tobacco products,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“As e-cigarettes are currently only available on the black market or through personal importation, legalising the sale of e-cigarettes will assist the Government in removing the risk of unregulated and unsafe black market activity.”

In its final report, the Inquiry recommended further research should take place before a decision to legalise the sale of e-cigarettes in Australia is made. While the Committee Chair, Trent Zimmerman MP, and Tim Wilson MP recommended that the devices be made legally available for sale, under the similar regulation as regular tobacco products. 

The ARA welcomes the Inquiry’s recommendations however, does not believe that electronic cigarettes should be subject to the same regulations as traditional tobacco products, as electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco and are proven harm-reduction devices.

“We are calling on the Health Minister to accept the findings of the Inquiry and move swiftly to allow retailers to legally sell electronic cigarettes,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“We also acknowledge crossbench support for legal consumption of e-cigarettes as the US and UK already provide these tobacco alternatives.”

Mr Zimmerman said the current regulations around electronic cigarettes will continue to put small retailers and consumers in danger.

“We need to legalise these less-harmful alternatives otherwise consumers will seek out illegal tobacco products through the black market and put their health and safety at risk.”

About the Australian Retailers Association

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak body industry, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works yesterday announced that it is inquiring into three new proposals from the Department of Defence. These projects continue the busy work program of the Public Works Committee and include two projects based in Darwin and one in Sydney with the total value of all the projects being scrutinised being $782.1 million.

It is anticipated that the Committee will conduct public and in-camera hearings for the inquiries in May or June 2018.

Details of the projects can be found below:

• Facilities to Support Naval Operations in the North – $272.6 million - Darwin, NT
• Larrakeyah Barracks Redevelopment - $223.0 million – Darwin, NT
• Garden Island (East) Critical Infrastructure Recovery Project - $286.5 million – Sydney, NSW

The Committee would like to hear from all individuals or organisations interested in the inquiries. Submissions will be accepted until 27 April 2018.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is neither involved in the tendering process nor the awarding of contracts. Enquiries on those matters should be addressed to the Department of Defence.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website.

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