THE representatives of the Australia-Taiwan Business Council appeared today ahead of two days of public hearings for an Australian parliamentary inquiry looking at the merits of expanding the membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP agreement signed in 2018 is a trade bloc of 11 countries that includes Australia and is an export market of 500 million consumers worth nearly $14 trillion.

The parliamentary inquiry will examine the scope for expanding the CPTPP beyond the existing membership of Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia and Peru to include new members.

Today’s public hearing is with representatives of the Australia-Taiwan Business Council, Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Australia, Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Oceania, MelbourneTaiwaneseChamber ofCommerce, Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce Western Australia, Asia Business Council Western Australia, Taiwanese Association of Australia, Melbourne Chapter, Queensland Federation of Taiwanese Associations, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott AC, Export Council of Australia, Standards Australia, DHL Express (Australia), Australia China Business Council, Dr M Shumi Akhtar, Perth USAsia Centre, Customs and Global Law and the Freight and Trade Alliance, and Article Three.

Tomorrow’s public hearing is with Professor Gabriele Suder, and representatives of the Australian Sugar Milling Council, Australian British Chamber of Commerce, Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, ActionAid, Australian Taiwanese Friendship Association, the Overseas Community Affairs Council, ROC (Taiwan), Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association Taiwan, Taiwanese Barley Products Industry Association, CPC Corporation Taiwan, and the Bankers Association of the ROC.

Further details about the about the inquiry, including today’s program and the terms of reference, details of past public hearings and roundtable discussions, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold a public hearing tomorrow examining the relisting of Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades as part of its larger Review into the relisting of five organisations as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code.

Hamas’ Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades are the paramilitary wing of Hamas and have been listed as a terrorist organisation by the Government since 2003. The Committee will hear from experts on Hamas as well as from Government agencies such as the Department of Home Affairs and ASIO.

Chair of the Committee, Senator James Paterson, said evidence presented to the committee by experts would help determine whether the listing of Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades should be widened to include the entirety of Hamas, which is not currently captured.

“The committee has not hesitated in the past to recommend broadening terrorist listings if we believe the evidence supports doing so, for example with Hezbollah. We will carefully consider the case for listing all of Hamas as a terrorist organisation rather than just its paramilitary wing,” Senator Paterson said.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

Public Hearing Details

Friday, 1 October 2021
​10am – 1pm (AEST)
​Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the hearing can be found here and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) are contacting thousands of West Australian taxpayers to offer assistance after they used the services of Jessa Van Stroe (also known as Jessa Layola), who was illegally preparing tax returns.

An order to stop preparing and lodging income tax returns for payment, as she is not and never has been registered with the TPB, was issued to Ms Van Stroe by the Federal Court on August 23, 2021.

Professor Dale Pinto, head of the Taxation Discipline in the Curtin Law School, said, "It is important for anyone who has used the services of unregistered preparers, like Ms Van Stroe, to review their tax returns. Unregistered preparers do not have the necessary skills or expertise to provide tax advice and by using her services these taxpayers have no protection against penalties which could be applied for mistakes Ms Van Stroe may have made."

The TPB is working closely with Curtin University’s Curtin Tax Clinic (CTC), which is offering free tax advice to people impacted by Ms Van Stroe. 

Co-Founders of CTC, Annette Morgan and Donovan Castelyn, said, "CTC is happy to provide free assistance in situations like this as it aims to assist unrepresented taxpayers in meeting or complying with their tax affairs. In return the experiential learning opportunities for students who work under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners in these situations are most valuable."

Only tax agents registered with the TPB can legally charge a fee to lodge income tax returns – find a registered tax agent using the TPB register.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said anyone who has used her services should urgently review their income tax returns and ensure that the details provided to the ATO are correct and substantiated. This can be done by logging into your MyGov account or by contacting the ATO on 13 28 61.

"To get help help reviewing your tax return it is recommended that you seek independent advice from a registered tax agent," the ATO said.

Anyone who has used Ms Van Stroe's services that needs help understanding their tax affairs can contact CTC by phone on (08) 9266 2575 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the Tax Practitioners Board

The TPB regulates tax practitioners in order to protect consumers. The TPB aims to assure the community that tax practitioners meet appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct. Twitter_@TPB_gov_au, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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THE Joint Select Committee on Road Safety will hold further public hearings for its Inquiry into Road Safety on September 29 and 30, 2021.

The hearing on September 29, 2021 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from driver education programs, allied health professionals, academics and legal organisations about the ‘human’ factors which contribute to road trauma and measures that may be taken in this space to improve road safety outcomes.

Committee chair, Darren Chester MP, said, "The majority of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads result from human error. Indeed, the 'fatal five'—speeding, distraction, fatigue, drug and alcohol impairment, and failure to wear a seatbelt — are all consequences of actions taken by drivers.

"The committee strongly favours a holistic approach to road safety, including ongoing investment in better, safer roads, and considers human factors to be a critical component of the road safety environment. Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to gather valuable evidence on how human error contributes to road trauma, and measures that can be taken to reduce error and enhance safety on Australian roads."

The hearing on September 30 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from peak bodies, research organisations and safety authorities about the measures which Australia can take to reduce road trauma via safer vehicles and improvements to the nation’s infrastructure.

Mr Chester said "Ensuring vehicles on Australian roads are as safe as possible — including by encouraging the uptake of proven safety technology — is crucial to addressing road trauma. Equally important is maintaining the quality and currency of road infrastructure and ensuring new and upgraded infrastructure fully considers the safety of road users.

"Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to hear about measures to ensure the safety of vehicles on our roads, and the infrastructure that is needed to reduce road trauma and ensure Australia is prepared for future vehicle technologies."

Public hearing details

Date:               Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Time:              9.30am to 4.15pm

Witnesses:  Occupational Therapy Australia, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Road Safety Education Limited, BRAKE, National Road Safety Partnership Program, Road Safety Matters, Engineers Australia.

Date:               Thursday, 30 September 2021
Time:              9.30am to 5pm

Witnesses:  Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, Dr Richard Tooth, Roads Australia, Australian Automobile Association, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, Australian Road Safety Foundation, 3M, Electric Vehicle Council. 

Due to health and safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, hearings will be held remotely via videoconference and will not be open for public attendance. However, interested members of the public will be able to view proceedings via the live webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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