THIS WEEK, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP will be in Victoria, as part of the Parliament in Schools program.

Students will learn about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks.

On Monday September 2, the Speaker will visit:

• Coburg Primary School, Coburg with the Member for Wills, Mr Peter Khalil MP;
• Olympic Village Primary, Heidelberg West, with the Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Social Security, Assistant Minister for Ageing, Member for Jagajaga, Kate Thwaites MP;
• Camelot Rise Primary School, Glen Waverley, with the Member for Chisholm, Dr Carina Garland MP.

On Tuesday, September 3, with the Member for Dunkley, Ms Jodie Belyea MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Banyan Fields Primary School, Carrum Downs;
• Woodlands Primary School, Langwarrin;
• Kingsley Park Primary School, Frankston.

From Wednesday September 4 to Friday September 6, with the Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester MP, the Speaker will visit:

• Kurnai College, Churchill;
• Churchill Primary School, Churchill;
• Woodside Primary School, Woodside;
• Guthridge Primary School, Sale;
• Lindenow Primary School, Lindenow;
• Snowy River Campus – School for Student Leadership, Marlo;
• Orbost Community College, Orbost.

“Since we launched this program, we have visited over 100 schools across Australia – from King Island to Far North Queensland to Nullagine," Speaker Milton Dick said.

“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia.

“These students are our future leaders, and it is important that we equip them with the information and tools they need, to go on to be active and engaged citizens.”

About the Parliament in Schools program

Launched in September 2022, the Parliament in Schools program is a bi-partisan initiative to make civics education accessible to students regardless of their location. In collaboration with local federal members, the Speaker is visiting schools across Australia to bring parliament to them.

The program is an extension to well-established Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) onsite, digital and outreach education programs available to schools across Australia.

It also complements the existing PEO online and print resources that are curriculum-aligned, for Australian teachers and students.

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ALCOHOL and other drug use is a major cause of preventable illness and death in Australia. Seeking to strengthen the national response to this pressing health concern, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will undertake an inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia.

In announcing the inquiry, Committee Chair Mike Freelander MP said, "We know that alcohol and other drugs cause significant harm to individuals, families and indeed communities. As well as having severe health consequences, substance use also erodes economic and social wellbeing, deepening marginalisation and disadvantage.

"The inquiry will examine our existing alcohol and drugs policies, our treatment services and our community programs, while also looking at the workforce that is required to meet the high demand for services in this area."

Deputy Chair, Julian Leeser MP, said, "There are many good organisations providing support for people in our community who are struggling with addiction. This inquiry will be a good opportunity to hear directly from frontline service providers about the challenges they are dealing with and how we best support them in their work."

The committee is encouraging health professionals, health service providers, peak bodies, Commonwealth, State and Territory government departments, researchers, and members of the public to engage with the inquiry. The committee is keen to understand the current challenges in the domain of alcohol and drug treatment, and is looking forward to examining best practice models in this area from Australia and overseas.

The committee would be grateful to receive written submissions in support of the inquiry by Monday, September 30, but may also agree to accept submissions after this date. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account. Contact the Committee Secretariat if you require assistance in – or additional time for – making a submission.

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

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ON MONDAY September 2, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

The subcommittee will hold a public hearing at the Sydney Masonic Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, and hear evidence from a range of regional and international development groups, including the Australian Red Cross, UNICEF Australia, Transparency International Australia, Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Oxfam Australia, as well as research and academic groups.

Subcommittee Chair, Josh Burns MP, said, "There are many organisations operating in the Pacific at different scales and with different areas of focus, with the overall goal of supporting the communities, economies, environment and cultures in the Pacific to thrive.

“We are also pleased to hear from a range of civil society organisations based in the Pacific, including the Tuvalu National Youth Council and the Kiribati Climate Action Network, about the work they are undertaking, their priorities and where they are looking for support.”

Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage.

Public Hearing Details

Date: Monday 2 September 2024
9:30am – 4pm (AEST)
Sydney Masonic Centre, Sydney, NSW

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

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THE CEOs of Australia’s four major banks (ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac) will appear before the House Standing Committee on Economics in Canberra on  August 2024 29 and 30 for its review of Australia’s four major banks.

Committee Chair Daniel Mulino MP said it had been an eventful year for banking, from high interest rates and cost-of-living issues to huge losses from scams, allegations that ANZ manipulated the bond market, and banks playing a growing role in the green energy transition.

Dr Mulino said the committee looked forward to engaging with the major banks’ CEOs on these and other issues.

He said the committee’s scrutiny was timely, with most major banks at odds with the Reserve Bank’s messaging on future interest rate moves in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

“At our August 16 public hearing, the RBA Governor told us it is premature for commentators to be thinking about rate cuts, yet the major banks all predict an easing cycle in the near to medium term. We want to understand the reasoning.”

Dr Mulino said the committee would also ask how banks can better protect customers from increasingly sophisticated scams.

“Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams last year, with a marked increase in scams from social media," he said.

“The banks are obviously not the only powerful corporations in this space, but they are incredibly important—and many people are rightly calling on them to do more to protect vulnerable customers.”

Dr Mulino also said the committee was very concerned by recent allegations of misconduct by ANZ.

“The Hayne Royal Commission was a watershed moment in terms of resetting expectations about ethical conduct by banks,” Dr Mulino said. “One of our core roles since the Hayne Royal Commission has been regular public scrutiny of the banks through these hearings to discourage ethical backsliding, and the allegations against ANZ are obviously extremely serious.”

Programs for the hearings and more details about the inquiries are available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 29 August 2024
Time: 9.15am to 5pm AEST
Banks: CBA and Westpac
Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Friday 30 August 2024
Time: 9.15am to 5pm AEST
Banks: NAB and ANZ
Location: Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra

The public hearings can be viewed on demand, or via live YouTube feeds, at https://www.aph.gov.au/live.

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