THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP, has today launched a National Youth Parliament, to be held in 2026.

The National Youth Parliament will see 150 high school students selected to represent each electorate across Australia to participate in a three-day program in Canberra, including at Australia’s Parliament House.

Youth Members will have the unique opportunity to learn about aspects of being a Member of Parliament, including the process by which bills are drafted, considered, and pass Parliament to become law.

The National Youth Parliament will complement the Speaker’s existing civics education program, Parliament in Schools, which has already been delivered to over 145 schools across Australia, including regional and remote schools.

The National Youth Parliament will begin taking applications in the second half of this year.

"I am so proud that for the first time, the House of Representatives – the people’s House – will be hosting this great program here in Canberra," Mr Dick said.

"The National Youth Parliament will give our young people a national platform to contribute to democracy and politics through a hands-on experience.

'Young people have a vital role to play in public discussion, and a youth parliament is a meaningful and sustained youth engagement model that we have seen across Australia and the Commonwealth.

"I am so passionate about setting up the foundations to ensure our next generation have the skills, tools and knowledge to lead this country through the challenges of our future.

"I look forward to welcoming students from all over Australia to develop their appreciation of civics, parliamentary debate and of course, strengthening our great democracy."

www.aph.gov.au

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THE Australian Workers’ Union has strongly endorsed the passing of the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024, describing it as a historic step that positions Australia to become a global leader in new energy and advanced manufacturing.

The bill establishes production tax credits that will catalyse private investment at the speed and scale required to develop green hydrogen and critical minerals industries in Australia. 

AWU national secretary Paul Farrow said the legislation would help unlock the nation’s immense potential in critical minerals processing and green hydrogen production — industries that will be critical to Australia’s economic and strategic future.

“Australia’s approach to critical minerals and new energy has been constrained by a ‘dig and ship’ mentality, and this bill tips that on its head," Mr Farrow said. 

"This bill finally provides what industry has been crying out for: investment certainty to move beyond raw exports and build up our domestic processing and manufacturing capabilities. It will create thousands of high-quality jobs, particularly in regional Australia, and ensure future generations of Australian workers benefit from the global industrial shift.

“If this bill is successful in paving the way to reliable, large-scale green hydrogen supply that would be a game-changer for the nation because it would unlock green steel and green aluminium which would be transformative for the Australian economy.

“The ‘community benefit rules’ embedded in this legislation are critical, because they ensure the jobs created will be high-quality positions with good pay and secure conditions. Unlike the approach taken in the past, this bill ensures Australian workers and their communities will share fairly in the gains of Australia’s industrial transition.”

The AWU has been a long-time advocate for securing Australia’s sovereign industrial capability, warning that the concentration of global supply chains— particularly in China — poses a strategic risk for the nation.

"Australia has the whip hand here and this Bill allows us to crack it,“ Mr Farrow said.

"It will help Australia build resilience and safeguard against the risk of being cut out of critical supply chains. Australia has some of the world’s richest reserves of critical minerals, yet we’ve allowed overseas interests to dominate refining and processing. This legislation will reverse that trend and keep more value—and more jobs—onshore.”

Mr Farrow criticised the Coalition’s decision to vote against the legislation, calling it a betrayal of Australia’s industrial future.

“The Coalition's decision to vote against this bill speaks volumes. It's entirely in line with their broader hostility to Australian workers and their industries,” he said.

“At a time when the world is racing ahead in clean energy and critical minerals investment, the Coalition would rather Australia sit on the sidelines. They would apparently rather see Australian jobs go offshore than support the policies needed to develop world-leading industries here.”

Mr Farrow said the AWU would continue working to ensure the implementation of the bill delivers for Australian workers.

“The passing of this bill is a major step forward, but we need to make sure it’s implemented in a way that maximises Australian jobs and industrial development. The AWU will be holding government and industry to account on that."

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing today for its inquiry into the Convention between Australia and the Portuguese Republic for the Elimination of Double Taxation with respect to Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance.

The convention adds to Australia’s existing tax treaty network and is the first of its kind to be agreed to by Australia and Portugal. The convention promotes closer economic cooperation between the two countries through the reduction of taxation barriers, for example the double taxation of income derived by the residents of either country.

The convention also improves the tax system through providing a framework for cooperation on tax administration which prevents tax avoidance and evasion. 

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The committee will investigate if this agreement strengthens the relationship between Australia and Portugal and contributes towards stronger ties, particularly in commercial trade and investment.

"The committee will explore if the convention encourages increased cross-border trade and investment through the reduction in tax barriers that hinder investment. The committee will also examine if the Convention will provide tax certainty for Australian businesses that are looking to expand their operations into Portugal," Ms Chesters said.

The committee will hear evidence from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Department of the Treasury at the public hearing.

Public hearing details

Date: Monday 10 February 2025
Time: 11.30am-1pm (approximately)
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

More information about the Committee and its inquiry can be found on the Committee’s website.

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

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RECOMMENDATIONS for strengthened and standardised civics education for Australian students have been made by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in its report, From Classroom to Community: Civics education and political participation in Australia.

Committee Chair, Senator Carol Brown said, "Australia’s system of compulsory voting means that all Australians need to be informed to participate in our democracy and elections. This is particularly important at a time where democracies around the world, including Australia, are facing rising disengagement, distrust, and misinformation and disinformation in a complex online information environment.

"The committee heard clear evidence that the quality of formal civics education varies considerably between the states and territories, and even individual schools – which means that many young people are not getting the information they need to be informed and responsible citizens. It is clear that Australia needs a strengthened and standardised approach to civics and citizenship education."

The report makes 23 recommendations, informed by the people most affected by the topics considered. Key recommendations include:

• nationally aligned and mandated civics and citizenship content in the Australian Curriculum and better support for teachers through high-quality professional development;
• resourcing to allow more students to visit Canberra or access digital learning experiences;
• strengthening access to civics education for adults, including working with trusted grassroots community organisations and community leaders to provide culturally appropriate voter education opportunities and materials;
• creating meaningful opportunities for diverse young people to have their say on formal policies and processes;
• prioritising media and digital literacy in the Australian Curriculum and working with community organisations to deliver media and digital literacy training for vulnerable populations;
• resourcing for factual, translated resources to counteract disinformation;
• advancing research on media consumption patterns and recommender systems on social media.

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

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has presented its annual review of the administration and expenditure of six Australian intelligence agencies for the 2022-23 financial year.

The review found that amidst a changing strategic environment, Australia’s intelligence agencies continue to work effectively and responsibly to protect Australia’s national security.

"The committee is satisfied that the agencies are administering outcomes and outputs effectively, and managing expenditure appropriately to achieve value-for-money outcomes for the Australian taxpayer," Committee Chair, Senator Raff Ciccone said.

The committee reported on a number of focus areas in its 2022-23 review including artificial intelligence and machine learning, staff recruitment and support, and the use of external contractors.

Senator Ciccone said, "The agencies provided detailed and useful information in relation to artificial intelligence and machine learning, reassuring the committee that they are carefully thinking about and planning for the appropriate use of these complex technological tools."

"The committee is pleased with the level of use of contractors by the intelligence agencies and encourages agencies to continue their endeavours and their transparency in this regard. The committee supported efforts by some agencies to review and rationalise their use of external consultants."

The committee’s review covers the administration and expenditure in the 2022-23 financial year of six of the 10 agencies that form Australia’s National Intelligence Community: the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO), the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Office of National Intelligence (ONI).

The committee’s report can be found on its webpage here: Review of Administration and Expenditure No. 22 (2022–23) – Australian Intelligence Agencies – Parliament of Australia.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing today for its inquiries into the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Australia and the United Arab Emirates and the Agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Australia on the Promotion and Protection of Investments.

The proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would be Australia’s first trade agreement with the Middle East and would eliminate tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exports to the UAE.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The committee will examine the impact of the CEPA on Australian industry, trade and economy.

"The committee will also explore the inclusion of a chapter that highlights First Nations trade and investment – the first of this kind in any of Australia’s free trade agreements. This chapter, along with chapters including commitments on labour standards, women’s economic empowerment and environmental protection, ensure that this agreement results in inclusive and sustainable trade.

"The committee will hear from a range of stakeholders, including witnesses from the agriculture industry, business advocates, unions and civil society, as well as a government panel."

The full program and further information on the inquiries can be found on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 30 January 2025
Time: 12.30pm to 3.30pm
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

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THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP received letters of resignation from  Keith Pitt as the Federal Member for Hinkler and Bill Shorten as the Federal Member for Maribyrnong -- by no by-elections are to be conducted.

With a general election pending, the Speaker has decided that writs will not be issued, and by-elections will not be held for the federal divisions of Hinkler and Maribyrnong.

The Speaker said this would avoid the necessity for the electors of Hinkler and Maribyrnong to participate in two elections within a short period of time.

The electors of Hinkler and Maribyrnong will be given the opportunity to fill the vacancies at the general election, Mr Dick said.

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LEGISLATION to mitigate threats to maritime and aviation security will be examined by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) as it starts a review today of the Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia’s Transport Sector) Bill 2024.

The Bill seeks amendments to the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 (ATSA) and the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 (MTOFSA).

Committee Chair, Senator Raff Ciccone, said these laws were introduced when terrorism was the biggest danger to Australia's transport critical infrastructure, "but it’s time to also consider managing other threats".

"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities with supply chains," Senator Ciccione said. "Malicious cyber activity can bring airports to a halt.

"This inquiry is an important opportunity to make sure any changes to ATSA and MTOFSA help government and industry keep our seas and skies safe, secure, and resilient," Senator Ciccone said.

"The committee looks forward to hearing from a range of stakeholders to better understand the implications of the Bill’s proposed amendments, before reporting to Parliament with our views and recommendations on this important legislation."

Submissions to the inquiry are invited by February 13, 2025.

For further information or to make a submission, visit aph.gov.au/pjcis

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