THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold its first public hearing for its inquiry into the Agreement among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (AUKUS agreement).

The AUKUS agreement establishes a legally binding framework to facilitate the communication and exchange of naval nuclear propulsion information between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The agreement will also permit the transfer of nuclear material and equipment from the UK and the US to Australia for conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The committee will examine if AUKUS will provide Australia with a strategic advantage in terms of surveillance and protecting our shores and if the AUKUS agreement will facilitate the acquisition of submarines that are stealthier, speedier and sturdier than our existing fleet.

"The committee will explore if the agreement emphasises Australia’s commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and reinforces the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency."

The first public hearing will be held in Canberra, with the Committee scheduled to hear evidence from the Australian Nuclear Association, Professor Donald Rothwell, The Australia Institute and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The committee will travel to Adelaide on October 18 to hold a public hearing and visit the Osbourne Naval Shipyard for a tour and briefing from Australian Naval Infrastructure. The committee will then travel to Perth on October 22 for tours of HMAS Stirling and HMAS Henderson and a public hearing.

The hearings can be accessed online and the programs are available on the Committee website, along with further information about the inquiry. 

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday 16 October 2024
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

2.pm–2.45pm: Australian Nuclear Association
2.45pm–3.30pm: Professor Donald Rothwell
3.30pm–4.15pm: The Australia Institute
4.15pm–5pm: Australian Conservation Foundation

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

The committee will today hear evidence from Pacific civil society representatives across the region. It will also hear from officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to discuss some of the key findings of the inquiry.

Chair of the subcommittee, Josh Burns MP, said, “In this, the final public hearing, the committee will have a further opportunity to consider the ways in which Australia engages in the Pacific and identify opportunities for improvement.

“We are particularly excited to be hearing today directly from civil society representatives across the Pacific region and look forward to the insights they bring.”

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

Public Hearing Details

Date: Monday, 14 October 2024
10am – 12:30pm (AEDT)
Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

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

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AS PART of its inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water will travel to Adelaide to hear from representatives from SA Power Networks, government departments, academics and Mitsubishi Motors about Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.

The committee will hold a half day of public hearings before attending a site visit to the Motor Trades Association (MTA). MTA Training and Employment is a leader in automotive and electrical vehicle training, training over 1,000 apprentices, as well as skilled technicians and workers in automotive, mining and emergency services sectors.

Committee Chair, Tony Zappia MP, said, "The committee looks forward to hearing from representatives from SA Power Networks about the current and future demands on the South Australian electricity grid with the increasing uptake of electric vehicles.

"SA Power Networks will discuss how it is managing the latest technology of vehicle-to-grid EV charging, which allows EVs to feed electricity back into the grid when demand is high.

"Mitsubishi Motors Australia will discuss its current market demand for hybrids and EVs and the committee will examine potential challenges for supplying electric vehicles to Australia’s right-hand driving market now and into the future.

"The site visit to the Motor Trade Association will give the committee an important overview about the training and employment sector for electric vehicles. This is a new sector within Australia with a growing demand for people to be skilled up and trained to understand and service electric vehicles throughout Australia."

The program for the public hearings can be found here.

Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 17 October 2024
Time: 9am – 12pm
Location: Adina Apartment Hotel, Adelaide Treasury, 2 Flinders Street Adelaide.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced an inquiry into the Cyber Security Legislative Package consisting of the Cyber Security Bill 2024, the Security of Critical Infrastructure and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Response and Prevention) Bill 2024 and the Intelligence Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Cyber Security) Bill 2024.

The Cyber Security Legislative Package intends to implement seven initiatives under the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, which aims to address legislative gaps to bring Australia in line with international best practice and help ensure Australia is on track to become a global leader in cyber security. These measures are intended to address gaps in current legislation to:

• mandate minimum cyber security standards for smart devices;
• introduce mandatory ransomware reporting for certain businesses to report ransom payments;
• introduce ‘limited use’ obligations for the National Cyber Security Coordinator and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD); and
• establish a Cyber Incident Review Board.

The package also intends to progress and implement reforms to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act). These reforms are intended to:

• clarify existing obligations in relation to systems holding business critical data;
• enhance government assistance measures to better manage the impacts of all hazards incidents on critical infrastructure;
• simplify information sharing across industry and government;
• introduce a power for the government to direct entities to address serious deficiencies within their risk management programs; and
• align regulation for the security of telecommunications into the SOCI Act.

Senator Raff Ciccone, newly elected Chair of the PJCIS, said, “Cyber security and protection of critical infrastructure are essential components of Australia’s national security. This review will aim to ensure the new legislative package will operate as effectively and reasonably as possible in response to ever increasing cyber threats. The Committee looks forward to engaging with a range of government, civil society and corporate submitters.”

Submissions to the inquiry are invited by Friday, October 25, 2024.

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

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THE Federal Government has expanded the Code of Professional Conduct (Code) for tax practitioners, to strengthen integrity and accountability in the tax profession.

To support implementation, the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) is engaging with stakeholders, including tax practitioners, professional associations and community representatives, to develop practical guidance. TPB guidance will issue in late October, for broad public consultation, with the aim to finalise guidance in December 2024.

The Tax Agent Services (Code of Professional Conduct) Determination 2024 (Determination) was revised on October 8, 2024, with effect from July 1, 2025 for most tax practitioners. Larger firms, with 100 or more employees, will need to comply by January 1, 2025.

The Federal Government and the Treasury consulted with professional associations and other stakeholders to clarify the scope of the expanded Code. This process assisted in refining how tax practitioners address integrity (false or misleading statements) and transparency (how they keep clients informed).

TPB chair Peter de Cure said, "These changes to the Determination provide additional certainty to tax practitioners on the intent and scope of the new Code obligations. This includes setting out the specific matters tax practitioners need to inform their clients about, which does not include information relating to the tax practitioner’s health or their personal beliefs."

Following a stakeholder roundtable today, Mr de Cure thanked participants for their ongoing contribution and co-design.

"These new Code obligations build on the principles in the existing law. Most tax practitioners, acting professionally and ethically, will readily comply with the new Code requirements," he said. "The TPB’s guidance will help tax professionals improve their services to clients and systems to comply with the law.

"We are committed to supporting tax practitioners through this process of change. Our draft guidance will also be strengthened by a series of webinars to further assist tax practitioners understand the draft guidance, ask questions and provide feedback that will shape the final products," Mr de Cure said.

"For all tax practitioners trying to do the right thing, we will continue to take a pragmatic and practical approach in addressing compliance with the additional obligations. Our approach is to achieve voluntary compliance through education and support. Any TPB investigation will be targeted at higher risk behaviours and misconduct."

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. Find further information on X.com, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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THE latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released today highlights the urgent reality of dementia in Australia, revealing dementia is set to become the nation’s leading cause of death, according to Dementia Australia.

In 2023, dementia accounted for 9.1 percent of all deaths, closely following ischaemic heart disease at 9.2 percent. Dementia remains the leading cause of death for Australian women, representing 12.2 percent of all female deaths and 6.4 percent of male deaths.

The figures also show that dementia is now the leading cause of death in South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and, for the first time, New South Wales.

Dementia Australia CEO Tanya Buchanan said, given there was no cure for dementia and poor community understanding of the terminal nature of the disease, the ABS data reinforces the urgent need for a public health approach to reducing – or preventing – the risk of developing dementia.

“This call is backed by the 2024 update of the Lancet Commission on the prevention, treatment, and care of dementia, which reports that almost half of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed,” Professor Buchanan said.

“There are currently an estimated 421,000 Australians living with dementia and without a significant intervention, this number is expected to increase to more than 812,500 by 2054.

“As dementia edges closer to becoming the leading cause of death of Australians, it is crucial that we act now to focus on the brain health of the nation as well as provide more targeted, effective support to those impacted by dementia. Taking this dual approach will ensure we are working towards reducing the impact of dementia in the future.

“Australians currently impacted by dementia can access support now by contacting the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated more than 421,000 Australians living with dementia, and the more than 1.6 million people involved in their care. The organisation advocates for positive change and supports vital research. Dementia Australia supports people impacted by dementia, to enable them to live as well as possible.

www.dementia.org.au

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TOMORROW's reconvened National Construction Industry Forum (NCIF) meeting will see the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) meet with industry peers, government and unions to discuss the past, present and future of the industry.

Jon Davies, CEO of the ACA, which represents the nation’s major contractors, has called on the Australian Government to use the current turmoil as an opportunity to refocus the NCIF and address long-standing structural issues in the industry.

“For too long, the relationships between clients, unions, and industry have been characterised by tension and a lack of trust,” Mr Davies said. “When one side wins, others often lose, leading to inefficiency and missed opportunities.”

The NCIF meeting will be a key moment to reshape the dynamics of all industry participants, he said.

“Instead of fighting for short-term wins, we should focus on shared goals — like improving industry culture and increasing productivity — where everyone benefits,” Mr Davies said.

“The goals of each group — whether it’s workers seeking secure jobs, governments wanting value for taxpayer money, or industry striving for fair returns — aren’t fundamentally at odds.

“The ACA has been seeking a firm commitment from all stakeholders to commit to change and is hopeful that the NCIF meeting will achieve this.

“By working together, we can create a stronger, more sustainable future for the construction industry.

“We have the potential to transform the construction industry into a true success story," Mr Davies said.

“Rather than seeing this moment as a crisis, we should seize it as an opportunity to build an industry where everyone wins.”

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding a public hearing tomorrow for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry, focussing on insurance in the sector.

Since March 2024 the committee has been investigating the current state-of-play within the Australian live music environment. The committee has heard that the impact of escalating business costs in the sector — including, but not solely, increasing impediments and costs in obtaining business and event insurance cover — have posed significant challenges.

Tomorrow’s hearing will take further evidence from submitters and previous witnesses, the Insurance Council of Australia and the Australian Live Music Business Council who have each considered ways to assist the sector with respect to insurance coverage. The committee will also meet with an Australian insurance broker, H2 Insurance Solutions, which specialises in offering insurance products to the Australian live music sector.

Additionally, the committee is interested to learn more about the organisation model and activities undertaken by Statewide Mutual. The Mutual body was created in 1993 to help reduce the risk profiles of activities undertaken by member NSW local governments and to obtain best value insurance coverage.

Committee Chair, Brian Mitchell MP, said, "There has been a perfect storm of escalating costs and compliance for venues and events; higher chances of negative weather impacts; changing audience behaviour and alternative entertainment options. Additionally, digitisation of music and the streaming of it, whilst offering greater choice, has, through algorithms, narrowed audience music selection. This has affected artists’ secondary income streams and reduced the discoverability of new artists.

"The committee is looking to find some practical ways of assisting the sector in a manner which helps it to be self-sustainable in a new music consumption paradigm," Mr Mitchell said.

Details of the public hearing are below, with the full program and terms of reference available on the inquiry webpage.

More information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 11 October 2024
Time: 9am – ~12 midday
Location: Committee Room 1S4, Parliament House, Canberra

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

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