Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will now proceed to make a statement following the presentation of my report for the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly delegation in Hanoi, Vietnam. I am pleased to make the following statement in presenting this report.

We participated in Hanoi from 28 March to 1 April 2015. It was my privilege to lead this delegation, which also comprised the member for Forrest, Senator Sterle, Senator Bernardi and Senator Lines. As this report confirms, this was a hardworking delegation, with all members playing an active role at the various proceedings of 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 and the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, as well as participating in the work of various standing committees.

During the assembly, I participated in the general debate on the topic of 'The Sustainable Development Goals: turning words into action'. I was also invited to participate in a panel discussion hosted by the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs to mark the 70th anniversary of that organisation.

A key aspect of the 132nd assembly was the proposal submitted by the Australian delegation of an item to be the topic of the emergency debate. Before departure, the delegation submitted a proposal on 'The role of parliaments in: (i) combating the threat of terrorism conducted by organisations such as Boko Haram against innocent civilians, in particular women and girls; and (ii) ensuring democratic procedures continue'. This was one of nine proposals put forward by member parliaments.

Following consultation with other delegates at the assembly in Hanoi, a joint Australian-Belgian item was finally submitted with other proposals, as follows: 'The role of parliaments in combating all terrorist acts perpetrated by organisations such as Daesh and Boko Haram against innocent civilians, in particular women and girls'. Following a ballot, this proposal achieved the required two-thirds majority and the highest number of votes and was listed for debate and unanimously adopted. I am pleased to say that, in the negotiations leading up to the ballot, the Australian delegation insisted that the reference to women and girls be retained, despite pressure to have that phrase deleted.

Another key business item of the assembly involved two sessions of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, which the delegation participated in. We were also privileged to attend a function to mark the 30th anniversary of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians.

I should draw particular attention to the work of the member for Forrest and her contribution to the work of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade. Mrs Marino took a lead role in the sessions of this hardworking committee, which finalised the resolution on water governance that was adopted unanimously by the assembly. Mrs Marino was invited to chair one session of this committee's deliberations and acted as rapporteur when the resolution was presented to the assembly.

One of the key benefits of the assembly was the opportunity for delegates to participate in bilateral discussions with a wide range of representatives of other parliaments and international organisations. I met Mrs Amina Mohammed, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning; the Speaker of the Swedish parliament; and the leader of the delegation from the Republic of Korea. The Australian delegation also met with members from delegations from Hungary, Morocco, Lithuania, Malaysia and Belarus. These meetings were a good opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics of mutual interest and to explain Australia's position on various issues.

Once again, 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 and build on capacity-building activities undertaken through regional parliamentary forums. I hope this important meeting continues at future IPU assemblies.

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.

I can say with confidence that Australia is regarded as a committed member of the IPU and that the contribution of our delegation is well regarded. So it was my pleasure last week to welcome the IPU Secretary General, Mr Martin Chungong, to the Australian parliament to continue discussions as we prepare for the 133rd assembly, scheduled for October this year.

I would like to congratulate the executive committee of the IPU and the IPU secretariat for their effective organisation of the 132nd assembly. In addition, our Vietnamese hosts went to a great deal of trouble to make all participants welcome, and I extend the delegation's sincere thanks to our hosts. On behalf of the delegation, I would like to thank all the individuals who contributed to making this a successful delegation. In particular, I wish to acknowledge the support provided by the staff of Australia's mission in Hanoi. Particular thanks are due to Ambassador Hugh Borrowman and Second Secretary Rose McConnell for the advice and practical assistance they provided.

I would like to extend thanks to officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and to the staff of the Parliamentary Library for providing comprehensive and timely briefing materials prior to our departure. Particular thanks are due to DFAT liaison officer Peter Manvell for coordinating briefs prior to the departure and providing advice during the delegation's time in Hanoi. Thanks also to Mr Russell Chafer, Mr Geoff Barnett and other staff of the International and Parliamentary Relations Office for the high standard of support provided. I particularly want to thank Mr Brien Hallett, the delegation secretary from the Department of the Senate, who accompanied us. His diligence and organisation were integral to the delegation's work at the IPU Assembly. Finally, I would like to thank my chief of staff, Mr Damien Jones, and my fellow delegates for their thoughtful participation in the delegation's meetings and their commitment to our program of work.

I commend the report to the House.