James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) That a joint select committee, to be known as the Joint Select Committee on the Opportunities and Risks Arising from Artificial Intelligence (AI), be established to inquire into and report on:

(a) the opportunities and risks that AI presents for Australia, including in relation to:

(i) the economy, including jobs, skills, productivity and financial markets,

(ii) national security, defence and cybersecurity,

(iii) democratic institutions, including misinformation and disinformation,

(iv) privacy,

(v) copyright,

(vi) health, and

(vii) wellbeing;

(b) the context for AI in Australia, including:

(i) the growth and trajectory of AI domestically and internationally, and

(ii) comparative international advantages, performance and regulatory and policy settings, and their impact on the uptake and growth of AI in Australia and Australia's AI capabilities;

(c) the education, skills and workforce required to harness the opportunities and address the risks of AI;

(d) potential reforms to harness the opportunities and address the risks of AI;

(e) alternative technological innovations to AI; and

(f) any related matters.

(2) That the committee present its final report by 29 November 2024.

(3) That the committee consist of 8 members, as follows:

(a) three senators or members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate or the Government Whip in the House of Representatives, at least 1 of whom shall be a senator;

(b) three senators or members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or the Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives, at least 1 of whom shall be a senator;

(c) one senator nominated by minority party or independent senators; and

(d) one member of the House of Representatives nominated by any minority party or independent member.

(4) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the Government Whip in the House of Representatives, the Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives or any minority party or independent senator or member of the House of Representatives;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of a committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(5) That every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6) That the members of the committee hold office as a joint select committee until presentation of the committee's report.

(7) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(8) That the committee elect as chair a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and, as deputy chair, a member nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate or the Government Whip in the House of Representatives.

(9) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(10) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(11) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(12) That 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-government member of either House.

(13) That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members, and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to consider.

(14) That the committee appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a deliberative vote but no casting vote, and at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting.

(15) That 2 members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum if that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-government member of either House.

(16) That members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(17) That the committee and any subcommittee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, to adjourn from time to time, to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(18) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(19) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.

(20) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.