Parliamentary Networks and Country Groups

Parliamentary Networks and Country Groups fortify our relationships with foreign parliaments around the world through engagement with their parliamentarians as well as members of the diplomatic community. This work is integral to our overall international engagement.

Australian Parliament maintains 11 parliamentary networks. These groupings are devised from the United Nations composition of macro-geographical (continental) regions.

Where there is significant interest within the parliament of a particular country, an individual country group may be established within their regional network. However, networks are responsible for all countries within their region – not solely countries which achieve an individual country group.

Parliamentary Networks and their established corresponding Country Groups are outlined below.

Australia - Africa Parliamentary Network
Convenor: Mr Graham Perrett MP
Deputy Convenor: Hon Warren Entsch MP

Egypt
Chair: Mr David Smith MP

Morocco
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Mr Rowan Ramsey MP

South Africa
Vice Chair: Mr Ian Goodenough MP

 

Australia - Americas Parliamentary Network
Convenor: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Deputy Convenor: Hon Warren Entsch MP

Argentina
Chair: Ms Susan Templeman MP
Vice Chair: Ms Zoe McKenzie MP

Brazil
Chair: Ms Tania Lawrence MP
Vice Chair: Senator Maria Kovacic

Canada
Chair: Mr Graham Perrett MP
Vice Chair: Mr Julian Leeser MP

Chile
Chair: Mr David Smith MP

Colombia
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP

Cuba
Chair: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Vice Chair: Hon Warren Entsch MP

Ecuador
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP

Guatemala
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP

Mexico
Chair: Ms Susan Templeman MP

Paraguay
Chair: Mr David Smith MP

Peru
Chair: Mr Josh Wilson MP

United States of America
Chair: Mr Luke Gosling OAM MP
Vice Chair: Ms Melissa McIntosh MP

Uruguay
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP

Venezuela
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP

 

Australia - East Asia Parliamentary Network

China
Chair: Dr Carina Garland MP
Vice Chair: Hon Melissa Price MP

Japan
Chair: Senator Catryna Bilyk
Vice Chair: Dr David Gillespie MP

Republic of Korea
Chair: Ms Joanne Ryan MP
Vice Chair: Mr Bert van Manen MP

Mongolia
Chair: Ms Tania Lawrence MP

 

Australia - South and Central Asia Parliamentary Network

Afghanistan
Chair: Mr Julian Hill MP
Vice Chair: Mr Andrew Wallace MP

Bangladesh
Chair: Mr Matt Burnell MP
Vice Chair: Senator Dean Smith

Bhutan
Chair: Mr David Smith MP
Vice Chair: Senator Dean Smith

India
Chair: Dr Andrew Charlton MP
Vice Chair: Mr Julian Leeser MP

Maldives
Vice Chair: Mr Bert van Manen MP

Nepal
Chair: Mr Peter Khalil MP
Vice Chair: Senator Andrew Bragg

Pakistan
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Mr Rowan Ramsey MP

Sri Lanka
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

 

Australia - Southeast Asia Parliamentary Network
Deputy Convenor: Hon Dr David Gillespie MP

Cambodia
Chair: Mr Julian Hill MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Indonesia
Chair: Mr Joshua Wilson MP
Vice Chair: Ms Angie Bell MP

Laos
Chair: Ms Anne Stanley MP
Vice Chair: Ms Jenny Ware MP

Malaysia
Chair: Mr Sam Lim MP
Vice Chair: Ms Angie Bell MP

Myanmar
Vice Chair: Senator Dean Smith

Philippines
Chair: Mr Luke Gosling OAM MP
Vice Chair: Mr Rowan Ramsey MP

Singapore
Chair: Mr Julian Hill MP
Vice Chair: Ms Michelle Landry MP

Thailand
Chair: Mr Luke Gosling OAM MP
Vice Chair: Senator Claire Chandler

Timor-Leste
Chair: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Vietnam
Chair: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

 

Australia - West Asia Parliamentary Network

Armenia
Chair: Mr Jerome Laxale MP
Vice Chair: Mr Paul Fletcher MP

Azerbaijan
Chair: Dr Mike Freelander MP
Vice Chair: Mr Rick Wilson MP

Cyprus
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

Georgia
Chair: Mr Graham Perrett MP

Israel
Chair: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Vice Chair: Senator the Hon David Fawcett

Jordan
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Lebanon
Chair: Dr Andrew Charlton MP
Vice Chair: Hon Alex Hawke MP

Qatar
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP

Saudi Arabia
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Hon Scott Buchholz MP

Türkiye
Chair: Mr Rob Mitchell MP
Vice Chair: Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck

United Arab Emirates
Chair: Senator Raff Ciccone
Vice Chair: Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC

 

Australia - Eastern Europe Parliamentary Network

Czech Replublic
Chair: Mr Luke Gosling OAM MP

Poland
Chair: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Vice Chair: Mr James Stevens MP

Ukraine
Chair: Senator Catryna Bilyk
Vice Chair: Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC

 

Australia - Northern Europe Parliamentary Network
Convenor: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Deputy Convenor: Senator Wendy Askew

Denmark
Chair: Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP
Vice Chair: Ms Angie Bell MP

Estonia
Chair: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Vice Chair: Senator James Paterson

Finland
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Iceland
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Ireland
Chair: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Latvia
Chair: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Vice Chair: Senator James Paterson

Lithuania
Chair: Senator Deborah O'Neill
Vice Chair: Senator James Paterson

Norway
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

Sweden
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

United Kingdom
Chair: Mr David Smith MP
Vice Chair: Senator Dean Smith

 

Australia - Southern Europe Parliamentary Network

Albania
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP
Vice Chair: Mr Sam Birrell MP

Croatia
Chair: Mr David Smith MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

Greece
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

Italy
Chair: Senator Raff Ciccone
Vice Chair: Mr James Stevens MP

Malta
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

Portugal
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

Republic of North Macedonia
Chair: Ms Cassandra Fernando MP

Serbia
Chair: Ms Tania Lawrence MP
Vice Chair: Senator Alex Antic

Slovenia
Chair: Dr Carina Garland MP

Spain
Chair: Senator the Hon Anthony Chisolm
Vice Chair: Ms Angie Bell MP

 

Australia - Western Europe Parliamentary Network
Deputy Convenor: Senator Wendy Askew

Austria
Chair: Mr Steve Georganas MP
Vice Chair: Mr Bert van Manen MP

Belgium
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes

European Parliament
Chair: Mr Josh Burns MP
Vice Chair: Ms Zoe McKenzie MP

France
Chair: Mr Jerome Laxale MP
Vice Chair: Ms Zoe McKenzie MP

Germany
Chair: Ms Tania Lawrence MP
Vice Chair: Ms Zoe McKenzie MP

The Netherlands
Chair: Dr Daniel Mulino MP
Vice Chair: Mr Bert van Manen MP

Switzerland
Chair: Senator Raff Ciccone
Vice Chair: Senator Wendy Askew

 

Australia - Pacific Parliamentary Network
Convenor: Mr Josh Burns MP
Deputy Convenor: Hon Warren Entsch MP

Fiji
Chair: Hon Michelle Rowland MP
Vice Chair: Hon Michael McCormack MP

New Zealand
Chair: Ms Sharon Claydon MP
Vice Chair: Mr Bert van Manen MP

Pacific Islands
Chair: Mr Josh Burns MP
Vice Chair: Hon Michael McCormack MP

Papua New Guinea
Chair: Mr Josh Burns MP
Vice Chair: Senator Hollie Hughes