Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Thank you, Member for Bowman. We miss you on the committee. I rise today to make a statement on behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Report 233 into the social security agreement between Australia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Australia and Uruguay share a friendly and cooperative bilateral relationship grounded in mutual respect and common interests. It is also supported by practical cooperation through agreements such as this, such as social security arrangements.

This agreement that the committee considered is an important development in our bilateral relationship with Uruguay and will provide tangible benefits to people who have lived and worked in both countries.

During the inquiry, the committee heard that the agreement is expected to make 290 additional people eligible for the age pension. This will also occur by allowing periods of Australian residence and Uruguayan insurance contributions to be counted together, enabling individuals to access entitlements on a proportional basis. This ensures that people receive appropriate recognition for their working lives, regardless of the country in which those contributions were made in.

Furthermore, this agreement allows people entitled to certain Australian and Uruguayan benefits to continue to receive these when they move overseas. This means that individuals entitled to the Australian aged pension can continue to receive the age pension even after moving to Uruguay.

The agreement also provides clarity for businesses and employees undertaking temporary work across borders by determining which country's system applies. This aims to prevent double contributions and lowers administrative complexity and offers clarity. By doing so, this agreement will reduce barriers to doing business across both countries and strengthens Australian business connections to Uruguay.

This agreement is Australia's 33rd bilateral social security agreement of this nature and our second with Latin America. The committee is satisfied that the agreement is consistent with past agreements and reflects a balanced and reciprocal approach.

This report I'm tabling today also includes a minor treaty action in relation to the amendment to the Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank. This amendment removes the Asian Development Bank's lending limits, as set out in the initial agreement. Removing the limit will boost the bank's financial capacity and maximise development impact. This supports Australia's commitment to growth and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The committee would like to thank the Department of Social Services, the Treasury and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their engagement throughout the inquiry that we held. I'd also like to thank fellow committee members for their contributions and to all those who participated in the inquiry.

The committee supports the agreement on the social security between Australia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and recommends that binding treaty be actioned. The committee also recommends that minor treaty action be taken in relation to the amendment to the Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank. On behalf of the committee, I commend this report to the House.

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