Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Moore, I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report by 29 November 2018:

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), with particular reference to:

(a) the understanding and awareness of the SDG across the Australian Government and in the wider Australian community;

(b) the potential costs, benefits and opportunities for Australia in the domestic implementation of the SDG;

(c) what governance structures and accountability measures are required at the national, state and local levels of government to ensure an integrated approach to implementing the SDG that is both meaningful and achieves real outcomes;

(d) how can performance against the SDG be monitored and communicated in a way that engages government, businesses and the public, and allows effective review of Australia's performance by civil society;

(e) what SDG are currently being addressed by Australia's Official Development Assistance (ODA) program;

(f) which of the SDG is Australia best suited to achieving through our ODA program, and should Australia's ODA be consolidated to focus on achieving core SDG;

(g) how countries in the Indo-Pacific are responding to implementing the SDG, and which of the SDG have been prioritised by countries receiving Australia's ODA, and how these priorities could be incorporated into Australia's ODA program; and

(h) examples of best practice in how other countries are implementing the SDG from which Australia could learn.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government notes the ongoing workloads of committees and committee secretariats and related concerns about additional references.

Question agreed to.