Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties I present the committee’s report entitled Report 115: Treaties tabled on 28 October and 24 November 2010, and Treaties referred on 16 November 2010 (part 2).

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—Report 115 of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties reviews 16 significant and five minor treaty actions.

The committee supports each of the actions considered in this report. In the brief time available today, I will direct my remarks mainly to the World Wine Trade Group Agreement on Requirements for Wine Labelling.

This agreement aims to harmonise wine labelling requirements between member countries. Estimates are that the agreement will save Australian wine makers $25 million per annum, and open new opportunities for trade into major world wine markets.

The committee has supported the agreement, although it recognises there are concerns about inconsistency with Australia’s domestic regulations, with potential implications for consumers.

Accordingly, the committee has expressed the view that the National Measurement Institute should bear these concerns in mind as it amends and implements that the National Measurement Regulations to support the agreement.

Turning briefly to the other agreements in the report, the committee has supported binding treaty action with the European Union on classified information security, on double taxation with Turkey, on social security with Austria, and for provision of air services with seven nations.

The report also reviews treaties addressing mobile satellite communications and postal services and clarifies liability limits for compensation claims arising from incidents involving ships.

Finally, and important given the recent and tragic events in Japan, the committee has endorsed a cross-servicing agreement which will assist Australian defence and Japanese non-defence forces to provide disaster and humanitarian relief more efficiently and well, through reciprocal provision of defence supplies and services.

I commend the report to the House.