David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the 172nd report of Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Singapore free trade agreementamendmentandDefence supplies and servicesJapan, and move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

I seek leave to incorporate the tabling statement into Hansard.

Leave granted

The statement read as follows—

Mr President, today I rise to make a statement concerning the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties' Report 172.

Mr President, Report 172 contains the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties' review of two treaty actions:

Mr President, Australia has had tariff-free access for goods exported to Singapore since 2003. However, access for Australian service suppliers to the Singapore market has been more difficult to achieve.

The Agreement to amend the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement consequently focusses on service and regulatory issues.

The Agreement also incorporates a number of improved provisions previously negotiated as part of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

One of the improvements is an updated version of the Trans Pacific Partnership's Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions.

Mr President, the new ISDS provisions in the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement will protect Australia from claims on:

Another important outcome relates to Singapore's recognition of Australian university qualifications.

Mr President, Singapore has recently adopted a more protectionist attitude towards recognising foreign university qualifications, particularly law qualifications.

For example, Singapore recently removed eight British universities from its list of recognised law qualifications.

In this environment, Australia has notably succeeded in retaining the number of recognised Australian law qualifications recognised by Singapore.

Australia has also obtained concessions that will make it easier for Australian law practitioners to open offices in Singapore to practice international and Singaporean law.

In relation to other skilled professionals, Mr President, the amendment to the Singapore free trade agreement establishes a formal framework for negotiating the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Mr President, in an increasingly protectionist international environment, the Amendment to the Singapore free trade agreement shows Australia can both defend its access to foreign markets and open up new fields for Australian business to explore. The Committee supports the proposed treaty action.

Mr President, Report 172 also contains the Committee's views on the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Australian Defence Force and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan.

The Agreement replaces a similar Agreement that came into force in 2013, and reflects changes in Japanese domestic law relating to Japan's involvement in international peace keeping.

The Agreement will permit the provision of logistic supplies and services to the military forces of Australia and Japan for specified joint activities. These supplies and services will be in return for either cash payment or the reciprocal provision of logistic supplies and services.

Specifically Mr President, the Agreement now includes the reciprocal provision of supplies and services for internationally coordinated peacekeeping and security operations.

The proposed Agreement will ensure that Australia's logistical relationship with Japan remains on the same footing as Japan's

logistical relationship with other close allies such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

Mr President, the Committee supports ratification of this Agreement.

Finally Mr President, the report also contains the Committee's review of two minor treaty actions:

Amendment to Annex 3 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organisation;

Fourth Protocol Establishing the Prolongation of the Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the Presence of Australian Personnel in the Netherlands for the Purpose of Responding to the Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Mr President, on behalf of the Committee, I commend the Report to the Senate.

Question agreed to.