THE House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources has tabled its report, The Now Frontier: Developing Australia’s Space Industry.

Chair of the committee, Pat Conaghan MP said, "This is an exciting time for the Australian space industry, which is deservedly receiving a renewed focus and interest. The industry is not the new frontier, but the now frontier, and building on its strengths will have enduring benefits for all Australians.

"The pace at which space-based technologies and innovation are developing is set to revolutionise the way we live. There are enormous opportunities for individuals, organisations, and communities to take advantage of this growing sector, particularly in rural and regional areas.

"In addition to improving our lives, this transformation will present real opportunities for Australia to be part of a growing and lucrative global space industry. Australia needs to position itself to capitalise on these opportunities."

"It is the hope of the committee that this report acknowledges the with awe-inspiring work already happening here in the Australian space industry and goes further to encourage and support the future promise and potential of the industry."

This bipartisan report of the committee makes 38 recommendations designed to drive growth and investment, encourage commercialisation of research and development, better facilitate international collaboration and grow a future space workforce.

Key recommendations include: a national assessment of Australia’s current and future space infrastructure requirements with particular emphasis on developing sovereign capability in identified areas, while acknowledging the need for industry to access a range of infrastructure for research and development; and community education and outreach programs to promote the range of professions – not generally associated with space – such as law, medicine, project management, communications and business that will all be required to support Australia’s space industry and facilitated to grow an internationally competitive sector.

A copy of the report can be found on the committee’s website.

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THE Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold an inquiry into the agreement between the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) for the Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information (ENNPI).

Committee Chair Dave Sharma MP said, "This agreement will allow Australia to access critical naval nuclear propulsion information from the United States and United Kingdom, and allow the exchange of sensitive and classified naval nuclear propulsion information with a third country for the first time.

"It will help determine the optimal pathway for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy, one of the most important strategic military capabilities for Australia in the decades ahead."

The ENNPI Agreement will also provide a mechanism for Australian personnel to access training and education from the UK and US counterparts, necessary for learning how to safely build, operate and support nuclear-powered submarines.

The committee is now accepting submissions and will hold a public hearing on Monday, November 29, 2021.

Further information on the inquiry can be found on the Committee website.

Submissions

Submissions to the inquiry are now open and close on Friday, November 26, 2021.

Public hearing

The committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 11.15am AEDT.

The program for the hearing will be made available online and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport has commenced an inquiry into childhood rheumatic diseases.

Chair of the committee, Trent Zimmerman MP, said the committee looked forward to receiving information on childhood rheumatic diseases and juvenile arthritis.

Mr Zimmerman said, "The committee will examine research into the causes of childhood rheumatic diseases and will focus on the health, social, educational and economic health impacts on children and adults who develop these diseases.

"The committee will also look at access to medical services, including diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management and support for all patients. The inquiry will focus on best practice quality of care and availability of treatments as well as assessing the professional education and training that is currently available for patients.

"We’re looking forward to hearing from the public, health professionals, patients and all interested stakeholders on how Australia’s health system could improve the management of rheumatic diseases for all patients and their families."

Submissions from interested individuals and organisations have been invited by Friday February 4, 2022. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account.

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

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A NEW parliamentary report, The New Frontier: Delivering better health for all Australians is recommending significant reforms to the health care system to ensure Australians have better and faster access to the wave of new medicines and technologies.

The chair of the committee, Trent Zimmerman MP said, "We are witnessing what will be a revolution in the treatment of many conditions, as our understanding of genomics and the development of precision medicine develops. In so many other areas we are also seeing progress in drugs and technology, which has been reflected in the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

"These innovations reflect the new frontier of medicine, which is giving hope to many for better treatments and technologies for conditions ranging from cancers to rare diseases. At its forefront, is the development of personalised or precision medicine, which is being delivered as our understanding of fields – like genomics – grows."

Australia has one of the world’s best systems for assessing new treatments and ensuring they are delivered in an affordable way to patients. However, the system can be improved and we need to ensure it is ready to meet the challenges of many new innovations that will not neatly fit current health technology assessment processes.

"Throughout its 15-month inquiry, the committee received over 200 submissions and held 13 days of public hearings in several capital cities. The committee was moved by the testimony of patients and their families and inspired by the work of our researchers and medical scientists. The committee was impressed by the professionalism of those working in the medicines and technology sectors and appreciative of the obvious dedication, co-operation and knowledge of those within the health department who assisted our deliberations in public and private hearings and through their submissions.

"I believe that all the committee’s recommendations will make a real difference to the lives of Australian patients as well as industry and the R&D sector, including the clinical trials sector," Mr Zimmerman said.

Deputy chair of the committee, Dr Mike Freelander MP, made the following comments in relation to the Inquiry:

"We are at an inflection point in healthcare in Australia at the present time, because of the rapidly increasing treatments becoming available for conditions previously considered untreatable.

"This is particularly so in my own field of paediatrics.

"How Australians get access to these treatments in an equitable manner has been the main focus of our Inquiry.

"I have learnt a lot during the course of the Inquiry, and have been humbled by the experience.

"I am particularly grateful to the chair, Trent Zimmerman, and to the incredibly hardworking secretariat, without whose efforts the Inquiry would not have been possible.

"I am very grateful for the manner in which our Inquiry has been approached by staff at the Health Department, particularly Prof John Skerritt and his staff at the TGA, the PBAC and MSAC, who at all times gave their support and never refused to give us time for meetings.

"I reiterate my support and thanks for all those who presented to us.

"I’ve enjoyed the Inquiry and the bigger picture is to now get whoever is in government to act on our recommendations."

The bipartisan report makes 31 recommendations to reform Australia’s system for the regulation and reimbursement with the hope that patients will receive faster access to the latest medicines and technologies.

The chair planned to table this report in the House of Representatives between 10am and 11am on Thursday November 25, 2021.

The full text of the report will be available on the committee’s website after tabling.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics today tabled its report into the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Annual Reports 2019 and 2020. The report focuses on matters arising from public hearings held in October 2020 and February 2021.

Committee Chair Jason Falinski said, "Scrutinising our competition regulator is an important function of the committee and has been especially vital at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted significant changes to the ACCC’s regulatory work and priorities."

The committee heard from the ACCC on its responses to the pandemic across multiple sectors. Important measures such as temporary market authorisations have enabled market activity to continue to proceed in the best interests of Australians and the broader economy.

The committee also heard from the ACCC regarding its work responding to COVID-related scams targeting Australians, and its management of issues arising from widespread travel cancellations.

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee inquired into issues such as the ACCC’s role in the Digital Platforms Inquiry, the financial technology sector, unconscionable and unfair conduct, common ownership, product safety, and motor vehicle service and repair information.

Mr Falinski said, "The ACCC’s work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been agile and responsive to emerging issues. While some ACCC priorities were put on hold to address these issues, it has continued to maintain substantial compliance and enforcement responsibilities across the competition and consumer law sector."

A full copy of the committee’s report is available on the committee’s website.

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AUSTRALIA'S intelligence agencies are operating at their best, despite challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, a deteriorating strategic environment and rapidly evolving threats, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has found.

Today the Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee tabled its report of the reviews No.18 and No.19 of the administration and expenditure of Australian intelligence agencies for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years, fulfilling one of its key statutory oversight responsibilities, and bringing to a close a review of shifting intelligence agency priorities and capability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Committee found that the Office of National Intelligence, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, the Australian Signals Directorate, the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation and the Defence Intelligence Organisation are managing their administration and expenditure appropriately.

Committee Chair Senator James Paterson noted that the National Intelligence Community (NIC) continues to mature and develop after its formalisation in 2018 and the Committee is continuing to analyse the evolution of the enterprise and how shared capability and outcomes can be achieved within the parameters of the law and the six agencies’ appropriated funds.

"Australia’s intelligence agencies are operating in a rapidly deteriorating security environment. With foreign interference, cyber intrusion and espionage at levels not seen even throughout the Cold War. Australians can be encouraged to know that our intelligence agencies have risen to the challenge and are operating at their best," Senator Patterson said.

‘The committee was particularly pleased at how agencies continued to achieve their mission despite the disruption caused by the pandemic and public health restrictions which impact their workforce," he said.

The committee has made a number of recommendations to investigate options for shared services to support staff complaints and resolution mechanisms, as well as psychological support. The latter was a focus of the committee’s review and recognises the importance of supporting the dedicated men and women who ensure our nation’s intelligence capabilities are delivered.

The committee also recommended that the Archives Act 1983 be amended to ensure that agencies could address ongoing matters, as well as ensuring that a review of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic were captured and shared across the NIC.

Further information on the inquiry and a copy of the report can be obtained from the Inquiry website.

"The committee has also launched the next Administration and Expenditure Review (No.20) and looks forward to receiving information from the agencies regarding their ongoing operational priorities and safeguards to ensure that their critical functions are being delivered in the most effective and efficient way,” Senator Paterson said.

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review into proposed new laws to address critical operational challenges, that national intelligence agencies face, in a rapidly evolving security environment.

The National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2021 implements the government response to several recommendations of the Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community (Comprehensive Review) led by Dennis Richardson AC.

The measures in the Bill improve the legislative framework governing the National Intelligence Community (NIC) by addressing key operational challenges facing the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO), the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) and the Office of National Intelligence (ONI). The Bill also includes amendments recommended by the 2017 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) and other measures intended to address important and pressing issues facing these agencies.

PJCIS Chair Senator James Paterson said it was clear that Australia’s threat environment had evolved.

"While we need to ensure that our intelligence agencies have the very best tools at their disposal to keep pace with emerging and evolving threats, we also need to ensure that these tools are proportionate and have robust oversight mechanisms," Senator Paterson said.

The Committee requests submissions to the inquiry by Thursday, February 3, 2022.

Further information about making a submission to a committee inquiry can be found at this link. Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the committee’s website.

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THE Northern Australia Committee has resumed its Inquiry into the Opportunities and Challenges of the Engagement of Traditional Owners in the Economic Development of Northern Australia with the aim to complete a report before the end of parliament.

On Friday November 26, the committee will hear from representatives of Supply Nation. This opportunity will allow the committee to understand the organisation's perspectives on key opportunities and challenges that impact engagement of Traditional Owners, and to inquire about the specific role Supply Nation has in this area. 

Committee Chair Warren Entsch said, "It is important to hear from key bodies that work in the area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander economic development as they are the ones that can give critical insights into key problems and opportunities.

"It will be important to important to understand how effective Supply Nation has been in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander development because it is importantly to understand the effect of such organisations to the progress of Indigenous economic development."

A program for the public hearing is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 26 November 2021
Time: 10am to 10:45am AEDT
Location: by teleconference

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