Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to Customs Tariff Amendment (Geelong Treaty Implementation) Bill 2025, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for the bill to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statement incorporated into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE     IN THE 2025 SPRING SITTINGS

CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT (GEELONG TREATY IMPLEMENTATION) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill provides for the domestic ratification of the Nuclear-powered Submarine Partnership and Collaboration Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the Geelong Treaty), signed on 26 July 2025. The Bill inserts a new item in Schedule 4 of the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to provide a concessional rate of duty on imports into Australia for goods related to the United Kingdom's implementation of the Geelong Treaty. In line with Article XXI of the Geelong Treaty, the concessional rate of duty for these goods is proposed to be free.

Reasons for Urgency

Passage of the Bill in the 2025 Spring sittings is required to facilitate the Geelong Treaty entering into force before the end of 2025. The Geelong Treaty was signed on 26 July 2025 and would replace the AUKUS Pillar I—Interim Bilateral SSN AUKUS Cooperation and Delivery Arrangement that expires 31 March 2026. Australia and the United Kingdom have also considered that the Treaty's entry into force by the end of 2025 is key to allow progress and continuity of key components of the SSN AUKUS program. The United Kingdom have indicated they are now ready for entry into force, their parliamentary scrutiny period having expired on 30 October 2025.

The Geelong Treaty provides for the long-term framework for cooperation between Australia, the United Kingdom and their respective industries on AUKUS Pillar I. The Treaty must be in force before the expiry of the Security Cooperation and Delivery Arrangement on 31 March 2026 as it is critical to the delivery of SSN-AUKUS across all aspects of production, operation, sustainment, and disposal. Article XXIII provides that the Geelong Treaty comes into force on the completion of the domestic requirements of the Geelong Treaty and an exchange of diplomatic notes has occurred. This Bill fulfils the domestic ratification of Article XXI of the Geelong Treaty that requires readily identifiable value added taxes, excise and customs duties, similar charges and quantitative restrictions on imports and exports are not imposed in connection with the agreement.