On 14 October 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its fifth and final public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

Media release issue date: Monday, 14 October 2024

On 14 October 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its fifth and final public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific. The Committee will today hear evidence from Pacific civil society representatives across the region. It will also hear from officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to discuss some of the key findings of the inquiry. Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, stated, “in this, the final public hearing, the Committee will have a further opportunity to consider the ways in which Australia engages in the Pacific and identify opportunities for improvement.” “We are particularly excited to be hearing today directly from civil society representatives across the Pacific region and look forward to the insights they bring.” Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Monday, 14 October 2024 10:00 am – 12:30 pm (AEDT) Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

On 12 September 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its fourth public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 12 September 2024

On 12 September 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its fourth public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific. The Subcommittee will today hear evidence from leading Australian academics. Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, stated, “the Committee looks forward to the insights of some of our leading academics into Australia’s role in our region and the priorities that the Pacific itself has set.” “We are particularly excited to welcome academics of Pacifica origin as well as those that have studied the attitudes, interests, and priorities of diverse communities across the Pacific.” Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Thursday 12 September 2024 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (AEST) Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

On 2 September 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

Media release issue date: Friday, 30 August 2024

On 2 September 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific. The Subcommittee will hold a public hearing at the Sydney Masonic Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, and hear evidence from a range of regional and international development groups, including the Australian Red Cross, UNICEF Australia, Transparency International Australia, Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Oxfam Australia, as well as research and academic groups. Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, explained, “there are many organisations operating in the Pacific at different scales and with different areas of focus, with the overall goal of supporting the communities, economies, environment and cultures in the Pacific to thrive.” “We are also pleased to hear from a range of civil society organisations based in the Pacific, including the Tuvalu National Youth Council and the Kiribati Climate Action Network, about the work they are undertaking, their priorities and where they are looking for support.” Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Monday 2 September 2024 9:30 am – 4:00 pm (AEST) Sydney Masonic Centre, Sydney, NSW The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser, for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

On 22 August 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its second public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 22 August 2024

On 22 August 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its second public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific. The Subcommittee will hear evidence from Mr Douglas Yu-tien Hsu, the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Australia. Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, explained, “in this inquiry we are testing our understanding of the needs of Pacific Island countries and reflecting on Australia’s role in the Pacific. We are keen to hear from representatives from Taiwan about their views of the priorities of the Pacific and how they are engaging in the region.” Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Thursday 22 August 2024 11:30 am – 12:30 pm (AEDT) Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser, for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

On 16 August 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its first public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific.

Media release issue date: Friday, 16 August 2024

On 16 August 2024, the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its first public hearing for its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Islands and countries in the Pacific. During the full day public hearing, the Subcommittee will hear evidence from diplomatic and regional representatives of Pacific Island countries, international development agencies, and Australian Government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Defence, the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, explained, “we are excited to kick off this inquiry by hearing from a range of voices and delving deeper into some of the issues that have been raised in submissions, including climate change and aid and development.” “This is not the first inquiry into the Pacific and it won’t be the last. That’s because Australia is part of the Pacific, we have a shared past and a shared future. As the focus of this inquiry is Australia’s response to the priorities of the Pacific, the Subcommittee is eager to use this first hearing to explore the Australian Government’s understanding of, and programs to support, those priorities.” Further information, including the hearing program is available on the Inquiry webpage. Public Hearing Details Date: Friday 16 August 2024 9:45 am – 3:30 pm (AEDT) Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser, for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat Ph: 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, has commenced an inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 16 May 2024

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee (the Committee), has commenced an inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region. The inquiry was referred by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong with the attached terms of reference. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee, Mr Josh Burns MP, commented, “We look forward to hearing a range of stakeholder views on the key priorities for Pacific Island countries and the Pacific, including their concerns and aspirations for economic, environmental and social development in the region.” The Committee is also interested in hearing about the effectiveness of Australia’s aid programs in the Pacific and opportunities to strengthen linkages and partnerships, and climate change mitigation and adaptation responses in the Pacific. “During the inquiry, it will be important to consider Australia’s engagement in the Pacific and the alignment of initiatives and policies with the key priorities of Pacific Island nations.” Submissions from interested individuals and organisations addressing the terms of reference to this inquiry are invited by Friday, 28 June 2024. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account. Further information about the Committee’s inquiry is available on the Committee’s website. Media inquiries Alissa Foster, Media Adviser, for Mr Josh Burns MP (Member for Macnamara; Chair, Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee) Mobile: 0451 131 554 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.