Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present the report of the Parliamentary Delegation to the 130th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Geneva, Switzerland; bilateral visit to the United Arab Emirates; and visit by the Deputy President of the Senate to Singapore from 9 to 23 March 2014, and ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

I am pleased to present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation that participated in the 130th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland from 16 to 20 March 2014 and the associated bilateral visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The delegation was led by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Stephen Parry, who represented the President of the Senate at the IPU Assembly; Senator the Hon. Ursula Stephens; Senator Sue Boyce; Senator Lin Thorp; and me. As this report attests, this was a hardworking delegation, with all members playing an active role throughout the assembly. The delegation attended all formal meetings of the assembly and its governing council, and participated in meetings of the Asia Pacific and Twelve Plus geopolitical groups, the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians as well as attending panel discussions and field visits.

One of the key benefits of the assembly was the opportunity for delegates to participate in bilateral discussions with delegations from other parliaments. By assembling representatives from such a large number and diverse range of parliaments in one place, the IPU offers a unique opportunity for delegations and individual parliamentarians to meet to discuss issues of mutual interest, to develop an understanding of different parliamentary models and to strengthen parliament-to-parliament relationships. The Australian delegation capitalised on this opportunity to hold discussions with members of delegations from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Canada, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, and Tonga. The Australian delegation found these discussions extremely valuable.

The Australian and New Zealand delegations facilitated a meeting of Pacific Island parliaments during the assembly. Since the 122nd IPU Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2010, the Australian and New Zealand delegations have sought to facilitate a meeting of delegations from the Pacific to discuss issues of mutual interest, including key items on the assembly agenda, and build on capacity-building activities undertaken through regional parliamentary forums. This latest meeting agreed that there is significant value in organising a meeting of Pacific Island parliaments immediately prior to the commencement of each IPU Assembly.

I would like to congratulate the executive committee of the IPU and the IPU secretariat for their effective organisation of the 130th assembly. This assembly provided an effective forum for parliamentarians to engage and increase their understanding of a range of issues of global interest and concern.

The Australian delegation recognises efforts undertaken over the course of recent assemblies to improve the effectiveness of the assembly's committees. I note recent changes to the rules of the assembly's four standing committees that seek to increase the level of debate and encourage the bureau of each committee to play a more active role in planning and guiding committee work. The delegation notes that there is still some scope for improvement in the implementation of these changes. I look forward to contributing to this process of improvement through my position on the bureau of the Second Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade.

The delegation's visit to the UAE immediately before the IPU Assembly underscored the significance of Australia's relationship with the UAE and the Gulf region. Australia's long standing commitment to the region and its contribution to international campaigns against terrorism and countering piracy, and its involvement in the United Nations' operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan is widely recognised and respected.

The delegation was grateful for the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Joint Task Force 633 at Al Minhad Air Base, where it received a comprehensive briefing from Major General Craig Orme, AM, CSC and senior officers of the Joint Task Force. What in impressive group they are! The delegation was particularly pleased to visit the memorial to Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, in whose memory the Australian compound at Al Minhad Air Base is named, and pay its respects to the 40 Australian soldiers killed in active service in Afghanistan.

The delegation also noted the strong and multifaceted bilateral and parliamentary relationships between Australia and the UAE. The expansion of air links between the two countries has provided much needed impetus, and there are positive signs for further strengthening of trade, business and investment links

The delegation commends Australia's representatives in Austrade and the Australian Embassy on the key role they continue to play in supporting Australian businesses seeking to expand their operations into the region.

On behalf of the delegation, I would like to thank all the individuals who contributed to making this a successful delegation. I would like to acknowledge the support and time devoted to the delegation's visits by Australia's missions in Abu Dhabi and Geneva. Particular thanks are due to Ambassador Pablo Kang and Deputy Head of Mission Kim Debenham for the time they devoted to the delegation's visit to the UAE; and to Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament, Peter Woolcott; Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation, Hamish McCormick; and First Secretary Jeffie Kaine for the advice and practical assistance they provided to the delegation throughout the 130th IPU Assembly.

I would like to extend the delegation's thanks to officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and to staff of the Parliamentary Library for providing very comprehensive and timely briefing materials prior to the delegation's departure. Thanks are also due to Mr Andres Lomp, Mr Geoff Barnett and other members of the International Community Relations Office for the high standard of support provided to the delegation—something we certainly do not take for granted.

Finally, I thank my fellow delegates for their thoughtful participation in the delegation's meetings and their commitment to our program of work. I also want to thank the officials who accompanied us: Ms Talitha Try from the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Mr Brien Hallett, from the Department of the Senate; and Jeanette Radcliffe, the delegation's secretary from the Department of the Senate. This was her final delegation in her role as secretary and Jeanette provided us all with outstanding service. Her knowledge and experience was extraordinary and of great value to this parliament and the members of the delegation. I commend the report to the House.