Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—In respect of the Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020, I move amendments (4) and (5) on sheet 1078 together:

(4) Page 69 (after line 16), after clause 56, insert:

56A Guidelines

(1) The Minister must, by notifiable instrument, issue guidelines for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the guidelines must outline the matters in relation to Australia's foreign policy which the Minister may consider when making a decision for the purposes of this Act.

(3) For the purposes of the performance of a function, the exercise of a power, or making of a decision under this Act, regard must be had to any guidelines issued by the Minister under this section.

(5) Page 69, after proposed clause 56A, insert:

56B Foreign Policy Statement

(1) The Minister must, by legislative instrument, make a statement (the Foreign Policy Statement) at least once each calendar year that outlines Australia's foreign policy for the purposes of this Act.

(2) The rules may prescribe other matters relating to the content or form of the Foreign Policy Statement.

(3) Regulations must not be made under paragraph 44(2) (b) of the Legislation Act 2003 to exempt the instrument from disallowance.

I don't need to speak to the amendments. They cover the same issues that we covered at length yesterday about putting some more checks and balances in the bill, getting clarity and not having the same complete control and power that the minister would have. It's setting in place some guidelines for how decisions are going to be made and setting in place a definition of foreign policy. In the interests of time I won't speak any more about them because I think we canvassed in a lot of detail yesterday the issues they cover.