Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, which took place from 23 to 27 March 2024. I seek leave to move a motion to take note of the document.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I was very honoured to represent the Hon. Milton Dick MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives and member of the executive committee, at the meeting of the IPU in Geneva on 22 March. In his capacity as executive committee member, Mr Speaker is also a member of the subcommittee on finance. He's also on the preparatory committee for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament set to take place in mid-2025. In March I was very pleased to lead that delegation, as the Speaker had to attend and serve the parliament in the way that he usually does as Speaker of the other place. The delegation comprised of me, Senator Linda Reynolds, Mr Julian Hill and Mr Warren Entsch. We were very ably assisted in our endeavours there on behalf of the nation by our secretary Dr Jane Thomson. I want to thank all of my colleagues and our support staff.

Though the IPU enjoys less publicity than other organisations, its work is no less essential in promoting democracy and international cooperation. When it was founded in 1889, co-founders William Cremer and Frederic Passy envisaged a forum of peace and diplomacy through dialogue rather than the force of arms, the foundations of democracy and international law. More than a hundred years on, their organisation has achieved so much more than they could ever have hoped. It has succeeded in bridging divides where some thought it would be impossible, such as between France and Germany after the First World War and across the 38th parallel in Korea. Even in the time we were in Geneva, it was facilitating meetings between the delegations from Azerbaijan and Armenia to ensure that people of goodwill can have conversations. People who desire to use the IPU as a safe harbour are using it in that way today. The IPU supports unconditionally those parliamentarians who wish to improve domestic democratic institutions through an extensive education and capacity building program. As a parliamentarian who stands for peace, democracy and human rights, I'm very proud to represent Australians in this prestigious forum.

In terms of participation, I was honoured to contribute to the general debate on the theme of the assembly, which was 'Parliamentary diplomacy: building bridges for peace and understanding'. In my contribution there I reflected on the challenges the global community faces, including conflict, rising inequality, the lack of economic opportunity and rapid technological change. There were 184 legislators from 129 member parliaments that contributed to that general debate, which led to the IPU's endorsement of the Geneva declaration on parliamentary diplomacy. That is a pledge by parliaments globally to support peace, defend human rights and condemn hate in pursuit of a stable and prosperous global community. The delegation participated in the work of the four main committees and subsidiary bodies of the IPU and of the assembly.

I presented a proposed resolution to the bureau of the standing committee on sustainable development focused on tax avoidance, on behalf of the Australian delegation. The bureau of the standing committee agreed to hold a panel discussion on the topic and the role of parliaments in preventing corporate tax avoidance and achieving sustainable development based on my proposal, and that will occur at the next assembly in October 2024. Happily I will be able to serve as a moderator for the purpose of this discussion. We will have an opportunity to share Australia's knowledge and experience with regard to tax avoidance and collaborate with international parliamentarians on best practices for a stronger and fairer international tax system. I want to thank and acknowledge the delegations from New Zealand, Thailand and Nigeria, who supported us in advancing that important matter.

The delegation was a very collaborative group. It spread itself across the vast number of activities and events that took place in the assembly to ensure that we as Australians made a significant contribution to the work of the IPU. In the margins of the event, Australia hosted a multilateral meeting with Pacific island neighbouring nations of Fiji, New Zealand, Timor-Leste and Tonga to discuss matters of shared importance with our Pacific family, forging strong cross-parliamentary ties with our closest neighbours. We also had bilateral meetings with Indonesia, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Nigeria and Afghanistan. I particularly want to thank Amanda Gorely, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament, and her staff. She hosted the delegation at her residence, and I thank her for providing ongoing support to the delegation during that time. I also want to particularly acknowledge the support of Mr David Hevey, First Secretary, Cyber and Digital Affairs, who provided invaluable support to the delegation.

I also acknowledge DFAT and the Parliamentary Library for providing briefing material, which very much assisted the delegation in making a meaningful contribution.

Question agreed to.