THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence has commenced two inquiries into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25 and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25.

One of the committee’s core functions is to review the administration and expenditure of Australian defence agencies, including their annual reports.

Committee Chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill, said, "Robust parliamentary oversight ensures capability, accountability, and public trust in Australia’s defence agencies. The commencement of these two annual report inquiries signifies the start of the Committee’s important oversight work."

Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for its inquiry into the Defence annual report:

• Uplift of Sovereign Defence industry;

• AUKUS Pillar I and Pillar II;

• Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems;

• Supersonic and hypersonic propulsion systems and related testing infrastructure.

The committee requests submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 14.

Inquiry into the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Annual Report 2024–25

The committee has identified the following areas of focus for the inquiry Veterans’ Affairs annual report inquiry:

• Departmental claims handling processes, outcomes and performance;

• Progress on implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide;

• Legislative harmonisation in the Veterans’ Affairs portfolio;

• Establishment and operations of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission;

The committee has requested submissions responding to the inquiry’s areas of focus by Friday, August 28.

More information, including the terms of reference and details on how to make a submission, can be found on the Committee’s website.

ends

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of the listing of White Australia as a prohibited hate group under the Criminal Code.

The committee said White Australia is an Australian-based nationalist and racist extremist group. It adopted that name in 2025 and has previously been known as the National Socialist Network and European Australia Movement.

White Australia’s ideology is grounded in racism and the notion of white supremacy, the committee said. White Australia is known for promoting racist and hateful propaganda about Jewish people, Asians, Muslims, Indigenous Australians and other migrant ethnicities, for the purpose of demeaning and inciting hatred against these groups.

The prohibited hate group listing framework enables the Federal Government to list organisations that promote violence or hatred. The listing activates a range of criminal offences under Division 114B of Part 5.3B of the Criminal Code, including offences relating to membership, recruitment and the provision of funds or support for the organisation.

White Australia was listed on May 15, 2026.

Under subsection 114A.8 of the Criminal Code, the PJCIS may review a listing at any time and report its comments and recommendations to both Houses of Parliament.

Chair of the PJCIS, Senator Raff Ciccone, said, “This is the second organisation listed as a prohibited hate group under laws passed by the Australian Parliament earlier this year.

“The Parliament has established a framework to ensure organisations that promote hatred, normalise extremist rhetoric and risk social cohesion are subject to strong legal consequences.

“The committee’s review is an important safeguard. It allows the Parliament and the Australian community to scrutinise the listing and ensure the framework is operating as intended.”

Members of the public are invited to make submissions to the review by July 13, 2026.

AUSTRALIA's payments system is fundamental to the operation of the national economy -- and Australians have never had more ways to pay.

As a nation of early adopters, Australians have been quick to embrace new payment technologies. However, global technology companies play an increasingly prominent yet opaque role in how Australians access and use payment services.

Moving from cash to card has seen a massive shift within our payments system. On average Australians use a credit or debit card 540 times a year and non-cash payments worth nearly $300 billion are made every business day.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics has today presented its report­—A Level Paying Field—for the inquiry into schemes, digital wallets and innovation in the payments sector.

This inquiry has shown Australians want and deserve to have confidence in a payment system that is simpler, competitive, transparent and delivers a fairer deal.

The inquiry received 48 submissions and heard evidence from key stakeholders at public hearings about the current state of Australia’s payment system.

The committee heard concerns regarding the growing complexity of card-related payment fees and the impact those costs can have on small businesses.

It looked at the market power of major card schemes and the increasing influence of digital wallet providers. It also considered the opportunities presented by account-to-account payment systems, emerging payment technologies and new forms of digital money such as stablecoin.

This report presents 16 recommendations aimed at reducing payment costs for consumers and small businesses, ensuring that savings are passed through to merchants and consumers, and improving oversight of the payments system. The recommendations promote more transparent fee structures, better access to payment infrastructure for new entrants in the sector, and the continued development of alternative payment methods such as account-to-account payments and stablecoins.

Committee Chair, Ed Husic MP said, "Australians deserve a simpler, easier to understand payment system, one that’s open to competition and delivers a fairer deal for small businesses and consumers.

"Strong competition often drives new ways of doing things," he said. "Equally, innovation delivers its greatest benefits when markets remain open, transparent and contestable.

"Our recommendations focus on improving competition in a payments system dominated by big players and where consumer choice has been limited.

"Consumers should have confidence that payment services are secure, affordable and competitive. Small businesses should not be disadvantaged by complexity or a lack of bargaining power."

A full copy of the report is available on the committee’swebsite.

ends

THE winners of the 2026 Yarning Competition will visit Canberra next week for a presentation event and the launch of the Yarning Exhibition at Parliament House. ​

The Yarning Competition is about storytelling. It aims to raise awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to provide a platform for secondary school students to connect with, and learn about, the work of the Australian Parliament.​​

Students are invited to share their perspectives and stories – through creative mediums such as visual art, video, photography, essays or audio – by addressing one of four themes: Country and Connection; Identity and Culture; Family and Community; Reconciliation. ​

The judges for the 2026 competition were the Speaker of the House, Milton Dick MP, the Member for Lingiari, Marion Scrymgour MP; the Member for Grey, Tom Venning MP and the Member for Curtin, Kate Chaney MP. Entries were shortlisted by the Parliamentary Service Indigenous Employee Network.​

The winners of the 2026 Yarning competition are:​

The winning artworks can be found at 2026 Winners – Yarning Competition.​

The winners will travel to Canberra for the presentation event at Parliament House on Monday June 29, to be hosted by the Speaker.​

At the event, the Speaker will launch the Yarning Exhibition, in which the three winning artworks will be displayed, and all competition entries will feature. The exhibition will run until February 2027.​

“We had a record number of entries this year, with an exceptionally high calibre of talent, sharing very special stories,” Speaker Milton Dick MP said.​

Event details

Yarning Competition presentation event and exhibition launch​
Monday 29 June 2026, 11.15am to 12.15pm​
Senate side circulation area, Level 1 public area​
Parliament House, Canberra.

ends