DFAT Annual Report 2004-2005 : Appendix 6 Inquiries by parliamentary committees

Inquiries by parliamentary committees

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee reported on the department's proposed expenditure on 15 March 2005 (Additional Estimates 2004–05) and on 20 June 2005 (Budget Estimates 2005–06), and tabled its reports Annual reports (No. 2 of 2004) on 1 September 2004 and Annual reports (No. 1 of 2005) on 16 March 2005.

During the review period, the department made submissions or gave evidence to the following parliamentary committee inquiries:

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Dialogue Process, submitted February 2005 and hearing held on 14 March 2005
Inquiry into Australia's Relations with the Republic of Korea and Developments in the Korean Peninsula, submission dated 2 June 2005

Joint Committee on Public Works

Mid-life upgrade of existing chancery building at the Australian High Commission, Singapore, submitted February 2005, hearing held on 13 May 2005
Proposed refurbishment of Australia House in London, submitted February 2005, hearing held on 13 May 2005
Construction of a new chancery building for the Australian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, submitted March 2005, hearing held on 27 May 2005
New offices for the Australian Consulate-General in Bali, Indonesia, submitted March 2005, hearing held on 27 May 2005

Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD

Review of the listing of six terrorist organisations, hearing held on 1 February 2005, submission dated 10 February 2005
Review of the listing of seven terrorist organisations, hearing held on 2 May 2005, submitted May 2005
Review of the listing of Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (the al-Zarqawi network) as a Terrorist Organisation under the Criminal Code Act 1995, hearing held on 2 May 2005, submission dated 11 May 2005

Senate Select Committee on the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America

Inquiry into the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America, hearing held on 6 July 2004

Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee

Inquiry into Security Threats to Australians in South-East Asia, hearing held on 5 August 2004
Inquiry into Australia's relationship with China, submission dated 24 March 2005, hearing held on 16 June 2005

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee

Inquiry into the Iraqi wheat debt, submission dated 21 February 2005, hearing held on 23 February 2005

Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee

Inquiry into matters relating to the Gallipoli Peninsula, submission dated 9 June 2005, hearing held on 17 June 2005

Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee

Inquiry into Australian Expatriates, hearing held on 29 July 2004
Inquiry into the Privacy Act 1988, submission dated 8 March 2005, hearing held on 20 May 2005

Standing Committee on Industry and Resources

Inquiry into developing Australia's non-fossil fuel energy industry, submission dated 12 May 2005 (from the Hon Alexander Downer, MP), briefing given to the Committee on 26 May 2005

Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

Inquiry into indigenous employment, submission dated 30 May 2005

Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Inquiry into harmonisation of legal systems, submission dated 31 May 2005

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

Departmental officers appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in respect of the proposed treaty actions shown below:

The department appeared on 26 July 2004 in respect of:
- Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of the French Republic on cooperation in the Maritime areas adjacent to the French Southern Antarctic Territories, Heard Island and the McDonald Islands, done at Canberra, 24 November 2003
- Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the United Arab Emirates relating to Air Services, done at Dubai City on 8 September 2002
- Thailand–Australia Free Trade Agreement
The department appeared on 9 August 2004 in respect of:
- Agreement between Australia and Nauru concerning additional police and other assistance to Nauru, done at Melbourne on 10 May 2004
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, done at New York on 25 May 2000
The department appeared again on 10 August 2004 in respect of:
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, done at New York on 25 May 2000
The department appeared on 7 March 2005 in respect of:
- Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Poland relating to Air Services, done at Warsaw, 28 April 2004
- Termination of the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Slovak Republic on Trade and Economic Cooperation, done at Canberra, 23 April 1999
- Joint Agreement on Enhanced Cooperation between Australia and Papua New Guinea, done at Port Moresby, 30 June 2004
- Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, done at Canberra, 5 July 2004
- Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand Establishing Certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries, done at Adelaide, 25 July 2004
The department appeared on 14 March 2005 in respect of:
- Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand Establishing Certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries, done at Adelaide, 25 July 2004
- Agreement on Social Security between the Government of Australia and the Government of Malta, done at Valletta, 16 June 2004
- Beijing Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, done at Beijing November 1999
- The department appeared on 31 May 2005 in respect of:
- Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand Establishing Certain Exclusive Economic Zone Boundaries and Continental Shelf Boundaries, done at Adelaide, 25 July 2004
The department appeared on 20 June 2005 in respect of:
- Singapore–Australia Free Trade Agreement Amendments
- Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Cooperation in the Fields of Energy and Mineral Resources, done at Canberra, 30 August 2004
- Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Singapore concerning the Use of Shoalwater Bay Training Area and the Use of Associated Facilities in Australia
- Mutual Recognition Agreement of Conformity Assessment in Relation to Medicines Good Manufacturing Practice Inspection and Certification between the Government of Australia and the Government of Canada, done at Canberra, 16 March 2005
- Measure 1 (2003) Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, adopted at Madrid, Spain on 20 June 2003, under the Antarctic Treaty, done at Washington on 1 December 1959.

Briefings provided to parliamentary committees

The department provided briefings to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, on the following issues:

RAMSI and the Solomon Islands, on 4 August 2004
Malaysia, on 31 August 2004
Economic Analytical Unit report PNG—the Road Ahead, on 8 December 2004
Darfur, Sudan and Human Rights Dialogue Process, on 10 February 2005
Free Trade Agreements currently being negotiated and those under consideration, on 16 March 2005
Australia's relationship with the Republic of Korea and Japan, on 14 March 2005.

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