Contents
Membership of the committee
Resolution of Appointment
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters
Chapter 3 The Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium
Chapter 4 Agreements for the Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes with Antigua and Barbuda and with the Netherlands in respect of the Netherlands Antilles
Chapter 5 Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (Europol) (The Hague, 20 February 2007)
Chapter 6 Amendment to the Hong Kong Extradition Treaty
Chapter 7 Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
Chapter 8 Report on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (London, 13 February 2004)
Appendix A - Submissions
Appendix B - Witnesses
Membership of the Committee
Chair |
Dr Andrew Southcott MP |
Senator Andrew Bartlett |
Deputy Chair |
Mr Kim Wilkie MP |
Senator Simon Birmingham
(from 20/6/2007) |
Members |
Hon Dick Adams MP |
Senator Carol Brown |
|
Mr Michael Johnson MP |
Senator The Hon Ian Macdonald |
|
Mr Michael Keenan MP |
Senator Julian McGauran |
|
Mr Andrew Laming MP |
Senator Glenn Sterle |
|
Mrs Margaret May MP |
Senator Russell Trood
(until 20/6/2007) |
|
Mr Bernie Ripoll MP |
Senator Dana Wortley |
|
Hon Bruce Scott MP |
|
Committee Secretariat
Secretary |
James Rees |
Inquiry Secretary |
Serica Mackay |
Research Officers |
Sonya Fladun |
|
Clare James |
| Administrative Officers |
Heidi Luschtinetz |
| |
Doris Cooley |
Resolution of appointment
The Resolution of Appointment of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties allows it to inquire into and report upon:
- matters arising from treaties and related National Interest Analyses and proposed treaty actions presented or deemed to be presented to the Parliament;
- any question relating to a treaty or other international instrument, whether or not negotiated to completion, referred to the committee by:
- either House of the Parliament, or
- a Minister; and
- such other matters as may be referred to the committee by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and on such conditions as the Minister may prescribe.
List of abbreviations
AFP |
Australian Federal Police |
APO |
Australian Patent Office |
ATO |
Australian Taxation Office |
Cth |
Commonwealth |
DAFF |
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry |
IMO |
International Maritime Organization |
IP |
Intellectual Property |
IPEA |
International Preliminary Examining Authorities |
ISA |
International Searching Authorities |
JSCOT |
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties |
MBS |
Medical Benefits Scheme |
NIA |
National Interest Analysis |
OECD |
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
SCOT |
Commonwealth-State/Territory Standing Committee on Treaties |
TIEA |
Tax Information Exchange Agreement |
WIPO |
World Intellectual Property Organization |
List of recommendations
2 Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters
Recommendation 1
The Committee supports the Treaty between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, Kuala Lumpur, 27 July 2006, and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
3 The Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium
Recommendation 2
The Committee supports the Agreement on Health Care Insurance between Australia and the Kingdom of Belgium and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
4 Agreements for the Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes with Antigua and Barbuda and with the Netherlands in respect of the Netherlands Antilles
Recommendation 3
The Committee supports the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda on the Exchange of Information with Respect to Taxes, Saint John’s, Antigua 30 January 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
Recommendation 4
The Committee supports the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Respect of the Netherlands Antilles for the Exchange of Information with Respect to Taxes, Canberra, 1 March 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
5 Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (Europol) (The Hague, 20 February 2007)
Recommendation 5
The Committee supports the Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Australia and the European Police Office (The Hague, 20 February 2007) and recommends binding treaty action be taken.
6 Amendment to the Hong Kong Extradition Treaty
Recommendation 6
The Committee supports the Protocol between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China Amending the Agreement for the Surrender of Accused and Convicted Persons of 15 November 1993, Hong Kong, 19 March 2007 and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
7 Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty
Recommendation 7
The committee supports the Extension of the Agreement in relation to the functioning of the Australian Patent Office as an International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty and recommends binding treaty action be taken.
8 Report on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (London, 13 February 2004)
Recommendation 8
The Committee supports the Convention on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.