THE Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has released its interim report into the 2022 Federal Election, and has recommended significant reforms to Australia’s electoral system.

Committee Chair Kate Thwaites MP said, "Australians are rightly proud of our electoral system, but it is important that we continue make sure that it is trusted, relevant and fit for purpose.

"The evidence we have heard has allowed the committee to develop clear goals for reform: to increase transparency in election donations and curb the influence of big money, to build the public’s trust in electoral and political processes, and to encourage participation in our elections."

The report makes 15 recommendations, focused on three main topics: political donations and electoral expenditure, truth in political advertising and encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in elections.

The committee continues its work on its inquiry into the 2022 election, with further hearings scheduled for Friday June 23 and two days in the Northern Territory next week. The final report is scheduled for release later this year.

Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions and hearing transcripts, is available on the inquiry webpage.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing into the agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on Cooperation in the Field of Defence and the Status of Visiting Forces.

Committee Chair, Josh Wilson MP said, “This treaty would establish a legally binding framework to facilitate mutually beneficial defence cooperation activities between Australia and Timor-Leste.”

The treaty, which also contains status of forces provisions, would enable Australia to participate more frequently in bilateral military activities with Timor-Leste. This would allow Australia and Timor-Leste to expand their defence cooperation into areas such as maritime operations, joint and unilateral training, logistics support, and international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The committee will take evidence from officials from the Department of Defence and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Public hearing details 

​Date: Monday, 19 June 2023
​Time: 10am
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House

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

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A PARLIAMENTARY committee inquiry will hear from Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at a public hearing on Tuesday,  June 20.

The hearing will be held at Parliament House as part of the Health Committee’s inquiry into diabetes in Australia.

Chair of the Committee, Mike Freelander MP, said, "The Hearing will be an opportunity for the Committee to hear from major peak bodies which each play a critical role in improving diabetes prevention, treatment and care, advocating for policies and funding around diabetes, and supporting Australians living with diabetes.

"The Committee looks forward to hearing evidence from these organisations, including about new advances in the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes that may be emerging either in Australia or internationally," Dr Freelander said.

Deputy Chair of the Committee, Melissa McIntosh MP said, "The committee will also hear from a 15-year-old girl in my community living with type 1 diabetes and her mother, about their personal experiences with this health condition that affects more than 130,000 Australians.

‘Since my athletic and healthy 20-year-old son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after having COVID-19, I am learning firsthand about the significant impacts that type 1 diabetes can have on people’s lives," Mrs McIntosh said.

The committee intends to hold more public hearings in due course. Interested parties are encouraged to make a submission to this inquiry by August 31, 2023.

Further information about the committee’s inquiry, including the full terms of reference and details on how to lodge a submission are available at the Committee’s website.

Hearing details

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

12pm to 2pm AEST

Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House Canberra

The hearing will be live broadcast via the Parliament’s Watch, Read, Listen website.

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SALES of new homes across Australia increased for the second month in a row in May despite the ongoing rise in the cash rate, according to Housing Industry Association (HIA) senior economist Tom Devitt.

The HIA New Home Sales report – a monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states – is a leading indicator of future detached home construction.

“Sales of new homes increased by 9.4 percent in the month of May 2023 compared to the previous month, leaving sales in the last three months higher by 4.4 percent on the previous quarter,” Mr Devitt said.

“Despite this small rise in sales, they remain at depressed levels. Sales in the three months to May 2023 were more than 40 percent lower than in the year before when interest rates started to increase, and 25 percent lower than prior to the pandemic. This indicates that the slowdown in home building that is underway will continue for at least the next year.

“The most significant contraction in sales is in New South Wales where customers are more sensitive to rises in the cash rate.

“Cancellations also remain elevated at a rate of 25 percent in the last quarter. This means, for every four new projects a builder is recording, a previous project is being cancelled," he said.

“The RBA’s rate increases will continue to hold down new sales and cause further cancellations as finance becomes unobtainable for an increasing number of buyers.

“The significant increase in the cost of land and construction across all jurisdictions over the past two years is compounding the impact of higher interest rates. The additional costs of compliance with the National Construction Code, that come into effect this year, will further increase the cost of new home construction and dampen demand further.

“This combination of factors will see home building continuing to contract for at least the next 12 months to its lowest level in more than a decade,” Mr Devitt said.

Sales of new homes in the three months to May 2023 compared with the same time last year are still down in most large states, led by New South Wales (-63.6 percent), and followed by Queensland (-52.9 percent), Victoria (-46.6 percent) and South Australia (-29.5 percent). Western Australia saw the only increase over the year, up by 19.4 percent.

www.hia.com.au

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