Tim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that was held in St Petersburg, within the Russian Federation, from 14 to 18 October 2017. I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

That's very generous; thank you. The 137th assembly of the IPU was an important gathering of parliamentarians from countries around the world, and at an important time. We considered emergency motions in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and the aggressive nuclear-testing actions of North Korea.

In attending, it was a privilege to be there with members from the other place: the leader of the delegation, Senator Ian Macdonald, and also Senator Chris Ketter. Australia's participation in the IPU is very well regarded. You yourself, Mr Speaker, and your interest in and commitment to the IPU were mentioned on a number of occasions, as was, of course, the involvement of the former President of the Senate, Senator Parry. I was very fortunate to participate in some work done by the standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade, which picked up on work previously done by the member for Forrest, and she was acknowledged for the contributions that she had made.

It was an important gathering of the IPU, to which Australia's commitment is of long standing and is widely respected. It was a privilege for me to go as a member of that delegation, and I look forward to going again in March, to Geneva, if that's how it turns out.