THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education, and Training has today tabled its report, Study Buddy or Influencer, following its inquiry into the use of generative artificial intelligence in the Australian education system.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "Generative AI (GenAI) presents exciting opportunities and yet high stakes risks for the Australian education system."

The Committee’s 25 recommendations explore how Australian schools can maximise the opportunities presented by GenAI while successfully mitigating the risks in using the emerging technology, and ensuring adequate safeguards and guardrails are in place to prevent misuse.

A key focus of the recommendations is to integrate generative artificial intelligence into Australia’s national curriculum as a study buddy for all students to use. These tools need to be fit-for-purpose, relevant to the Australian context, sensitive to gender and cultural considerations, and trained on data that is based on the national curriculum.

The committee identified that this technology has the potential to enhance educational experiences and deliver stronger student outcomes, particularly for Australia’s most vulnerable cohorts of students. 

The committee also believes, risks related to the use of the technology must also be addressed urgently. Of particular importance is the need to protect users, 'especially students’ data, and ensure that educational providers do not select GenAI tools that will store users’ data offshore or sell them to third parties.

The committee recognises that generative artificial intelligence technology may outpace the parameters of the terms of reference of this report, and these recommendations may need to be reviewed in the future.

Ms Chesters said, "These recommendations will forge a strong foundation to regulate the application of generative artificial intelligence in Australia’s education sector and if managed correctly GenAI in the Australian education system will be a valuable study buddy and not an algorithmic influencer."

The full report of the inquiry can be found on the committee’s inquiry webpage.

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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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THIS WEEK the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters will hold two public hearings as part of its inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia on Wednesday, September 11 and Friday, September 13.

Committee Chair, Senator Carol Brown said, "As this inquiry continues, a key theme has been the importance of civics education outside the classroom setting.

"Equal participation in our democracy and the casting of an informed vote depends on a range of factors such as how inclusive and accessible civics education is and how it is being taught outside of school.

"The committee looks forward to exploring how parliaments and universities teach civics and digital literacy and how youth engagement with our democracy can be improved. We will also be learning more about how students navigate the abundance of readily available information online and how they can better identify mis- and dis-information," Senator Brown said.

Public hearings details

Date: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Time: 9.45am to 10.30am
Location: Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra
Witness: Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP

Date: Friday, 13 September 2024
Time: 8.30am to 12.30pm
Location:Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra
Witnesses: News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra; Parliamentary Education Office; Universities Australia; Dr Sarah Moulds; Australian Electoral Commission.

A livestream of the hearings will be available via the Parliament’s Watch, Read, Listen website.

Further information about the inquiry, including submissions received and past public hearings, is available on the inquiry webpage.

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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 Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold the first public hearing today for its inquiry into the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The agreement closes gaps in the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and enables Australia to take an active role in maintaining the health of marine environments.

Committee Chair, Lisa Chesters MP, said, "The maintenance of ocean health supports Australia’s marine industries and reflects the Government’s international environmental leadership and nature positive agenda. The good health of marine ecosystems, biodiversity and resources provides cultural, social and economic value to Australia.

"As a member of the High Ambition Coalition, Australia has long been an advocate for the Agreement. By ratifying and becoming party to the Agreement, Australia will be able to influence decision making on global environmental action. Ratification will also benefit Australian industries such as tourism, fishing and aquaculture, and will provide Australian scientists with access to undiscovered materials and information," Ms Chesters said.

"This agreement is a priority for many nations within the Indo-Pacific. Early ratification will ensure that Australia remains an influential leader in the agreement’s implementation, contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific and supports our foreign policy objectives," she said.

The committee will hold the first public hearing at 2pm today, where they will hear evidence from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as from panels of academic, industry and NGO stakeholders.

Professor Donald Rothwell will appear at a second hearing on September 9. The committee will hear evidence relating to his submission to the inquiry.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday 5 September 2024
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Date: Monday 9 September 2024
Time: 12.10pm to 12.40pm (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 hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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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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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 Brisbane to hear from representatives of the Queensland Government, the heavy vehicle industry, EV manufacturers and experts in battery technologies.

The committee will hold a half day of public hearings before conducting a site visit to Queensland Energy Storage Technology (QUEST) Hub, a facility enabling the research, development and commercialisation of battery materials, cells and systems.

On Friday September 6, the committee will conduct a second site visit to Lava Blue Ltd’s Centre for Predictive Research into Specialty Materials (PRiSM), where researchers are developing processes for manufacturing battery-grade materials.

Chair of the committee, Mr Tony Zappia MP, said, "The committee is eager to hear from the Queensland Government about its Electric Super Highway that is connecting commuters and tourists with fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles along the coastline and into regional and rural Queensland. In addition, the committee is looking forward to meeting with witnesses to further explore the impact the transition to EVs may have for Australian consumers and our transport and heavy vehicle sector.

"The site visits will give the committee an important opportunity to learn more about Australia’s growing domestic battery industry, battery certification and the circular economy."

The program for the public hearings can be found here.

The committee will be holding further public hearings in Canberra and Adelaide in September and October 2024. Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 5 September 2024
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Committee Room 1 (CR1), Queensland Parliament, Brisbane.
Witnesses: Queensland Government, ACE EV Group, Janus Electric, Volvo Group Australia, Strata Solve, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, Queensland University of Technology Energy Storage Research Group and the Queensland Energy Storage Technology Hub.

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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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