The House met, at 9 am, pursuant to adjournment. The Speaker (the Honourable M. Dick) took the Chair, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

Registrar of Members’ Interests

The House was informed that the Speaker, in accordance with paragraph (3) of the resolution of the House of Representatives relating to the registration of Members’ interests, had appointed Mr Peter Banson, Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives, as Registrar of Members’ Interests in the 48th Parliament.

Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025

Mr Clare (Minister for Education), pursuant to notice, presented a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to Australian apprenticeship support loans, the Higher Education Loan Program, student start-up loans, vocational education and training student loans and the Student Financial Supplement Scheme, and for related purposes.

Document

Mr Clare presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

Mr Clare moved—That the bill be now read a second time.

Debate adjourned (Mr Birrell), and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Early Childhood Education and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Education) Bill 2025

Mr Clare (Minister for Education), pursuant to notice, presented a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to family assistance, and for related purposes.

Document

Mr Clare presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

Mr Clare moved—That the bill be now read a second time.

Debate adjourned (Mr Birrell), and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Suspension of Standing Orders—Private Members’ and Committee and Delegation Business on Monday, 28 July 2025

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent:

(1) the Selection Committee:

(a) meeting on or after today, if necessary by teleconference, to determine the order of consideration of matters and the times allotted for debate on each item and for each Member speaking, for private Members’ business and committee and delegation business, for Monday, 28 July 2025;

(b) communicating its determinations to Members prior to that Monday; and

(c) reporting its determinations to the House following prayers on Monday, 28 July 2025;

(2) the Selection Committee’s determinations being shown in the Notice Paper for that Monday under ‘Business Accorded Priority’ for the House and Federation Chamber; and

(3) in the absence of a fully constituted Selection Committee, the arrangements for private Members’ business for Monday, 28 July 2025 provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this resolution being determined by the Speaker, Chief Government Whip and Chief Opposition Whip and reports of such determinations being treated as having been adopted by the House when they are presented.

Question—put and passed.

ORDER OF THE DAY CALLED ON

Ordered—That order of the day No. 1, government business, be called on immediately.

ADDRESS IN REPLY TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SPEECH

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the following Address in Reply to the speech of Her Excellency the Governor-General be agreed to:

May it please Your Excellency:

We, the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, in Parliament assembled, express our loyalty to the Sovereign, and thank Your Excellency for the speech which you have been pleased to address to Parliament—

Debate resumed.

Debate adjourned (Mr Hogan), and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour this day.

Corporations and Financial Services—Proposed Powers and Proceedings of Parliamentary Joint Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) in accordance with section 242 of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 , matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services shall be as follows:

(a) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) the committee elect a:

(i) Government member as its chair; and

(ii) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(d) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(e) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(f) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(g) the committee:

(i) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(ii) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(h) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(i) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(j) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(k) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(i) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(ii) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(iii) sit in public or in private;

(iv) report from time to time; and

(v) adjourn from time to time and sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(l) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the joint committees on Corporations and Financial Services and Corporations and Securities appointed during previous Parliaments; and

(m) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(2) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade be appointed to inquire into and report on such matters relating to foreign affairs, defence and trade as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament or a Minister;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 32 members, 12 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, eight Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, five Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, five Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and two Senators to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its Chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(9) six members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine;

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote; and

(c) appoint the deputy chair of each subcommittee who shall act as chair of the subcommittee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee and who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) in addition to the members appointed pursuant to paragraph (10), the chair and deputy chair of the committee be ex officio members of each subcommittee appointed;

(12) at any time when the chair and deputy chair of a subcommittee are not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(13) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(14) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time;

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives; and

(f) conduct meetings for the purpose of private briefings at any time;

(16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence, and Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, appointed during previous Parliaments;

(17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(18) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Human Rights—Proposed Powers and Proceedings of Parliamentary Joint Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) in accordance with section 6 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 , matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights shall be as follows:

(a) the committee consist of 12 members, four Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) the committee elect a:

(i) Government member as its chair; and

(ii) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(d) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(e) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(f) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(g) the committee:

(i) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(ii) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(h) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(i) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(j) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(k) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(i) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(ii) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(iii) sit in public or in private;

(iv) report from time to time; and

(v) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(l) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Committees on Human Rights appointed during previous Parliaments;

(m) the committee may appoint counsel to advise the committee with the approval of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(n) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(2) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Implementation of the National Redress Scheme—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme be established to inquire into and report on:

(a) the Australian Government policy, program and legal response to the redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, including the establishment and operation of the Commonwealth Redress Scheme and ongoing support of survivors; and

(b) any matter in relation to the Royal Commission’s redress related recommendations referred to the committee by a Minister or by resolution of either House of the Parliament;

(2) the committee consist of eight members, three Senators, and five Members of the House of Representatives, as follows:

(a) three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips;

(b) two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member;

(c) one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

(d) one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate; and

(e) one Senator to be nominated by any minority party or independent Senator;

(3) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Government Whip in the House of Representatives, the Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minority party or independent Senator or Member of the House of Representatives;

(4) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee;

(5) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(6) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(7) the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy;

(8) the committee elect as chair a Government Member or Senator;

(9) the committee elect as deputy chair a non-Government Member or Senator;

(10) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(11) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(12) the deputy chair shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee, and at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(13) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(14) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(15) the committee, and any subcommittee, have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit;

(16) the committee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders;

(18) the committee have access to all evidence and documents of the former Joint Select Committees on oversight of the implementation of redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse and Implementation of the National Redress Scheme; and

(19) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Law Enforcement—Proposed Powers and Proceedings of Parliamentary Joint Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) in accordance with section 6 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010 , matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement shall be as follows:

(a) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) the committee elect a:

(i) Government member as its chair; and

(ii) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(d) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(e) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(f) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(g) the committee:

(i) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(ii) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(h) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(i) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(j) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(k) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(i) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(ii) conduct proceedings in any place it sees fit;

(iii) sit in public or in private;

(iv) report from time to time; and

(v) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(l) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Committees on the National Crime Authority, the Australian Crime Commission and Law Enforcement appointed during previous Parliaments;

(m) in carrying out its duties, the committee or any subcommittee ensure that the operational methods and results of investigations of law enforcement agencies, as far as possible, be protected from disclosure where that would be against the public interest; and

(n) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(2) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

National Capital and External Territories—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories be appointed to inquire into and report on:

(a) matters coming within the terms of section 5 of the Parliament Act 1974 as may be referred to it by:

(i) either House of the Parliament; or

(ii) the Minister responsible for administering the Parliament Act 1974 ; or

(iii) the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(b) such other matters relating to the parliamentary zone as may be referred to it by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) such amendments to the National Capital Plan as are referred to it by a Minister responsible for administering the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 ;

(d) such other matters relating to the National Capital as may be referred to it by:

(i) either House of the Parliament; or

(ii) the Minister responsible for administering the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 ; and

(e) such matters relating to Australia’s territories as may be referred to it by:

(i) either House of the Parliament; or

(ii) the Minister responsible for the administration of the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island, the Coral Sea Islands Territory, the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and of Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that Department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 12 members, the Deputy Speaker, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, the Deputy President and Chairman of Committees, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Standing Committees on the National Capital and External Territories, the Joint Committees on the Australian Capital Territory, the Joint Standing Committees on the New Parliament House, the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Zone and the Joint Committee on the National Capital appointed during previous Parliaments and of the House of Representatives and Senate Standing Committees on Transport, Communications and Infrastructure when sitting as a joint committee on matters relating to the Australian Capital Territory;

(16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(17) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Parliamentary Library—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library be appointed to:

(a) consider and report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on any matters relating to the Parliamentary Library referred to it by the President or the Speaker;

(b) provide advice to the President and the Speaker on matters relating to the Parliamentary Library;

(c) provide advice to the President and the Speaker on an annual resource agreement between the Parliamentary Librarian and the Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services; and

(d) receive advice and reports, including an annual report, directly from the Parliamentary Librarian on matters relating to the Parliamentary Library;

(2) the Committee consist of 13 members, four Members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, three Members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, three Senators nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(3) every nomination:

(a) of a member of the committee shall be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(b) from a minority group in the Senate or an independent Senator shall be determined by agreement between them, and, in the absence of agreement duly notified to the President, any question of the representation on the committee shall be determined by the Senate;

(4) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(5) the committee elect two of its members to be joint chairs, one being a Senator or Member, on an alternating basis each Parliament, who is a member of the government parties and one being a Senator or Member, on an alternating basis each Parliament, who is a member of the non-government parties, provided that the joint chairs may not be members of the same House;

(6) the joint chair nominated by the government parties shall chair meetings of the committee, and the joint chair nominated by the non-government parties shall take the chair whenever the other joint chair is not present;

(7) each of the joint chairs shall have a deliberative vote only, regardless of who is chairing the meeting;

(8) when votes on a question before the committee are equally divided, the question shall be resolved in the negative;

(9) three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum of the committee, but in a deliberative meeting a quorum shall include one member of each House of the government parties and one member of either House of the non-government parties;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees, consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to consider; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee, who shall have a deliberative vote only;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee, but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) sit in public or private;

(b) report from time to time; and

(c) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the President and the Speaker may attend any meeting of the committee or a subcommittee as they see fit, but shall not be members of the committee or subcommittee and may not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the former Joint Committees on the Parliamentary Library appointed during previous Parliaments;

(17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(18) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Parliamentary Standards—Proposed Powers and Proceedings of Parliamentary Joint Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) in accordance with section 59F of the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Act 2023 (the Act) matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Parliamentary Standards shall be as follows:

(a) members appointed in accordance with subsection 59B(2) and (3) of the Act be nominated by:

(i) the Leader of the Government, the Leader of the Opposition or any crossbench Senator in the Senate; and

(ii) the Government Whip or Whips, Opposition Whip or Whips, or any crossbench Member in the House;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) in addition to the chair elected in accordance with subsection 59C(1) of the Act, the committee elect a deputy chair in accordance with subsection 59CA(1) who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(d) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee, the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(e) when acting as chair, the deputy chair or other member presiding at a meeting of the committee shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(f) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(g) the committee:

(i) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(ii) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(h) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(i) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(j) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum; and

(k) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(i) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(ii) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(iii) sit in public or in private;

(iv) report from time to time;

(v) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate or the House of Representatives; and

(vi) consider and make use of the evidence and records of the former Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards;

(2) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(3) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Trade and Investment Growth—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth be appointed to inquire into and report on such matters relating to measures to further boost Australia’s trade and investment performance as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament or a Minister;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the joint select and joint standing committees on Trade and Investment Growth appointed during previous Parliaments;

(16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(17) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Treaties—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Treaties be appointed to inquire into and report on:

(a) matters arising from treaties and related National Interest Analyses and proposed treaty actions and related Explanatory Statements presented or deemed to be presented to the Parliament;

(b) any question relating to a treaty or other international instrument, whether or not negotiated to completion, referred to the committee by:

(i) either House of the Parliament; or

(ii) a Minister; and

(c) such other matters as may be referred to the committee by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and on such conditions as the Minister may prescribe;

(2) the committee consist of 16 members, six Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, three Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, three Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(3) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(5) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(6) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(7) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(8) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(9) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint not more than three subcommittees each consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(10) in addition to the members appointed pursuant to paragraph (9), the chair and deputy chair of the committee be ex officio members of each subcommittee appointed;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Standing Committees on Treaties appointed during previous Parliaments;

(16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(17) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

National Disability Insurance Scheme—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme be appointed to inquire into and report on:

(a) the implementation, performance and governance of the National Disability Insurance Scheme;

(b) the administration and expenditure of the National Disability Insurance Scheme; and

(c) such other matters in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament;

(2) as soon as practicable after 30 June each year, the committee present an annual report to the Parliament on the activities of the committee during the year, including the examination of each annual report of the National Disability Insurance Agency and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, in addition to reporting on any other matters it considers relevant;

(3) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) each subcommittee shall have at least one Government member of either House and one non‑Government member of either House;

(12) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(13) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall comprise one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(14) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and sit during any adjournment of the House of Representatives and the Senate;

(16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of former Joint Standing Committees on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and the former Joint Select Committee on DisabilityCare Australia appointed during previous parliaments;

(17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(18) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Northern Australia—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia be appointed to inquire into and report on such matters relating to the development of Northern Australia as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament or a Minister;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect:

(a) a Government member as its chair; and

(b) an Opposition member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one Opposition member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee has the power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Standing and Select Committees on Northern Australia appointed during previous Parliaments;

(16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(17) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Migration—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Migration be appointed that may inquire into and report on:

(a) regulations made or proposed to be made under the Migration Act 1958 ;

(b) any proposed changes to the Migration Act 1958 and any related acts; and

(c) such other matters relating to migration as may be referred to it by a Minister or either House of the Parliament;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 10 members, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, three Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(5) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(6) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(10) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(12) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Committees on Migration Regulations and the Joint Standing Committees on Migration appointed during previous Parliaments;

(16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(17) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

National Anti-Corruption Commission—Proposed Powers and Proceedings of Parliamentary Joint Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) in accordance with section 176 of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 (the Act), matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission shall be as follows:

(a) members appointed in accordance with subsection 172(3) of the Act be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, or any minority group or independent Senator in the Senate and the Government Whip or Whips, Opposition Whip or Whips, or any minority group or independent Member in the House;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) in addition to the chair elected in accordance with subsection 173(1) of the Act, the committee elect a non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(d) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(e) when acting as chair, the deputy chair or other member presiding at a meeting of the committee shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(f) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(g) the committee:

(i) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(ii) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(h) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(i) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(j) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(k) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(i) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(ii) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(iii) sit in public or in private;

(iv) report from time to time; and

(v) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate or the House of Representatives;

(l) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the former Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity;

(m) in carrying out its duties, the committee or any subcommittee ensure that the operational methods and results of investigations of law enforcement, integrity and intelligence agencies, as far as possible, be protected from disclosure where that would be against the public interest; and

(n) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(2) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs be appointed to inquire into and report on such matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament or a Minister;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 11 members, four Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips, one Member of the House of Representatives to be nominated by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, one Senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) a Senator or Member of the House of Representatives may be appointed to the committee as a substitute for a member of the committee, in respect of a particular matter or matters;

(5) substitute members have all the rights of committee members in relation to the matters for which they have been substituted;

(6) every nomination of a member, or substitute member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(7) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(8) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(9) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(10) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(11) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(12) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(13) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(14) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(15) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(17) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the House of Representatives standing committees on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs appointed during previous Parliaments;

(18) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(19) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Electoral Matters—Proposed Joint Standing Committee

Mr Burke (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—That:

(1) a Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters be appointed to inquire into and report on such matters relating to electoral laws and practices and their administration as may be referred to it by either House of the Parliament or a Minister;

(2) annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House shall stand referred to the committee for any inquiry the committee may wish to make and reports shall stand referred to the committee in accordance with a schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee, provided that:

(a) any question concerning responsibility for a report or a part of a report shall be determined by the Speaker; and

(b) the period during which an inquiry concerning an annual report may be commenced by a committee shall end on the day on which the next annual report of that department or authority is presented to the House;

(3) the committee consist of 11 members, four Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, two Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips, or by any minority group or independent Member, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and one Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(4) for the purposes of the inquiry into the 2025 election only, participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination in the House of Representatives, of the Government or Opposition Whips or any minority group or independent Member, and, in the Senate, of the Leader of the Government or Opposition, or any minority group or independent Senator, and such participating member:

(a) shall be taken to be a member of the committee for the purposes of forming a quorum; and

(b) may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee and have all rights of a committee member except that a participating member may not vote on any question before the committee;

(5) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(6) the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time;

(7) the committee elect a:

(a) Government member as its chair; and

(b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(8) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(9) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote;

(10) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(11) the committee:

(a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and

(b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equally divided vote, a casting vote;

(12) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;

(13) two members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either House;

(14) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(15) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private;

(d) report from time to time; and

(e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(16) the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of:

(a) submissions lodged with the Clerk of the Senate in response to public advertisements placed in accordance with the resolution of the Senate of 26 November 1981 relating to a proposed Joint Select Committee on the Electoral System; and

(b) the evidence and records of the Joint Committees on Electoral Reform and Electoral Matters appointed during previous Parliaments;

(17) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(18) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Question—put and passed.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2025

Mr Burke (Minister for Home Affairs), pursuant to notice, presented a Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 , and for related purposes.

Document

Mr Burke presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

Mr Burke moved—That the bill be now read a second time.

Debate adjourned (Mr Hogan), and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025

Mr Burke (Minister for Home Affairs), pursuant to notice, presented a Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 , and for related purposes.

Document

Mr Burke presented an explanatory memorandum to the bill.

Bill read a first time.

Mr Burke moved—That the bill be now read a second time.

Debate adjourned (Mr Hogan), and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for the next sitting.

ADDRESS IN REPLY TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SPEECH

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the Address in Reply to the speech of Her Excellency the Governor-General be agreed to ( see item No. 8, page 40 )—

Debate resumed.

Dr Garland addressing the House—

It being 1.30 pm, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 43, Dr Garland was granted leave to continue her speech when the debate is resumed, and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour this day.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS

Members’ statements were made.

DEATHs OF FORMER MEMBERs ( Petro Georgiou and Elizabeth Robyn Truman )

The Speaker informed the House of the deaths of Petro Georgiou AO, on 4 April 2025, a Member of this House for the Division of Kooyong from 1994 to 2010 and Elizabeth Robyn Truman (née Harvey), on 24 May 2025, a Member of this House for the Division of Hawker from 1987 to 1990.

As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, all Members present stood, in silence.

QUESTIONS

Questions without notice were asked.

Commonwealth Ombudsman’s reports

The Speaker presented the following documents:

Commonwealth Ombudsman—

* Australian Federal Police Act 1979 —Activities under Part V—Report for 2023-24.

Fair Work Act 2009 —Quarterly report under section 712F(6)—1 October to 31 December 2024.

*The document was made a Parliamentary Paper.

Auditor-General’s Reports

The Speaker presented the following documents:

Auditor-General—Audit reports of 2024-25—

No. 29—Performance audit—Australian Government advertising: November 2021 to November 2024: Across entities.

No. 30—Performance audit—Effectiveness of the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s regulatory functions: Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman.

No. 31—Performance audit—Maximising Australian industry participation through Defence contracting: Department of Defence.

No. 32—Performance audit—Delivery of the biosecurity workforce: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

No. 33—Performance audit—Administration of the Impact Analysis framework: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

No. 34—Performance audit—Treasury’s design and implementation of the Measuring What Matters framework: Department of the Treasury.

No. 35—Performance audit—Award of funding under the Disaster Ready Fund: National Emergency Management Agency.

No. 36—Performance audit—Australian Taxation Office’s procurement of IT managed services: Australian Taxation Office.

No. 37—Performance audit—Administration of the Future Fit Program: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

No. 38—Performance audit—Ministerial Statements of Expectations and responding Statements of Intent: Across entities.

No. 39—Financial statements audit—Interim report on key financial controls of major entities.

No. 40—Performance audit—Targets for minimum Indigenous employment or supply use in major Australian Government procurements—Follow-up: Across entities.

No. 41—Performance audit—Effectiveness of the Board of the National Disability Insurance Agency: National Disability Insurance Agency.

No. 42—Performance audit—Management and oversight of compliance activities within the Child Care Subsidy program: Department of Education; Services Australia.

No. 43—Performance audit—Administration of the Equipment Energy Efficiency program (GEMS): Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

No. 44—Performance audit—Conduct of procurements relating to two new child sexual abuse-related national services: Attorney-General’s Department.

No. 45—Performance audit—Fraud and corruption control arrangements in Creative Australia: Creative Australia.

No. 46—Performance audit—Management of the OneSKY contract: Airservices Australia; Department of Defence.

No. 47—Performance audit—Management of Senior Executive Service conflict of interest requirements: Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission; Australian Trade and Investment Commission; Department of Home Affairs.

No. 48—Performance audit—National Disability Insurance Agency’s management of claimant compliance with National Disability Insurance Scheme claim requirements: National Disability Insurance Agency.

No. 49—Performance audit—Design and establishment of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation: National Reconstruction Fund Corporation; Department of Industry, Science and Resources; Department of Finance.

No. 50—Performance audit—Department of Defence’s sustainment of Canberra class amphibious assault ships (Landing Helicopter Dock): Department of Defence.

The documents were made Parliamentary Papers.

DOCUMENTS

The following documents were presented:

*Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner—Report for 2024.

* Crimes Act 1914— Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission — Controlled operations—Report for 2023-24.

Export Control Act 2020— Livestock exports by sea—Report for the period 1 July to 31 December 2024.

Migration Act 1958— Section 486O—Assessment of detention arrangements—Commonwealth Ombudsman’s reports—

No. 1 of 2025—

Report.

Government response.

No. 2 of 2025—

Report.

Government response.

Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002— Report on the operation of the Act for the period 1 September 2024 to 28 February 2025.

*Royal Australian Navy Central Canteens Board—The Navy’s Anchorage—Report for 2023-24.

Superannuation (Government Co-contribution for Low Income Earners) Act 2003—

Government co-contributions—Quarterly report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2025.

Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset—Quarterly report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2025.

*Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council—Report for 2023-24.

*The documents were made Parliamentary Papers.

DISCUSSION OF MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE— Government

The House was informed that Ms Ley (Leader of the Opposition) had proposed that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely, “This Government’s failure to manage the nation’s challenges and priorities”.

The proposed discussion having received the necessary support—

Ms Ley addressed the House.

Discussion ensued.

Discussion concluded.

ADDRESS IN REPLY TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SPEECH

The order of the day having been read for the resumption of the debate on the question—That the Address in Reply to the speech of Her Excellency the Governor-General be agreed to ( see item No. 8, page 40 )—

Debate resumed.

Dr Garland, by leave, again addressed the House.

Debate continued.

ADJOURNMENT

It being 7.30 pm—The question was proposed—That the House do now adjourn.

Debate ensued.

The House continuing to sit until 8 pm—The Speaker adjourned the House until 9 am tomorrow.

DOCUMENTS

The following documents were deemed to have been presented on 23 July 2025 (An explanatory statement has been presented with each instrument unless otherwise indicated by an asterisk):

Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991—

Food Standards (Application A1279—Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom) mycelia as a processing aid) Variation [F2025L00856].

Food Standards (Application A1311—Prolyl oligopeptidase from GM Trichoderma reesei as a processing aid) Variation [F2025L00860].

Taxation Administration Act 1953— Commissioner of Taxation—Class Rulings—CR 2025/47, CR 2025/48, CR 2025/49.

ATTENDANCE

All Members attended (at some time during the sitting) except *Ms Fernando and Mr Katter.

* On leave

Claressa Surtees

Clerk of the House of Representatives