Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee

Senate Estimates hearing,

Searchable transcript of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, 12 Feb 2026 Senate Estimates hearing, with chapters: Opening and Laos Consular Case, Diplomacy and Herzog Visit, Settlements and Sanctions, UN Women and Gender Equality, Laos Consular Crisis Review, PM…

Chapters

  1. Opening and Laos Consular Case (0:00)

    Formal opening of the hearing followed by initial questioning regarding the tragic methanol poisoning incident in Laos.

  2. Diplomacy and Herzog Visit (51:08)

    Discussion on Australia's middle power diplomacy strategy and the diplomatic visit of Israeli President Herzog.

  3. Settlements and Sanctions (1:44:29)

    Examination of Australian policy regarding West Bank settlements and the application of autonomous sanctions.

  4. UN Women and Gender Equality (2:05:43)

    Review of Australian financial contributions to UN Women and international gender equality programs.

  5. Laos Consular Crisis Review (2:22:10)

    Internal review of the department's communication failures and procedural breakdowns during the Laos consular crisis.

  6. PM Travel and Timor-Leste (3:46:45)

    Outcomes of the Prime Minister's diplomatic visits to Timor-Leste and Indonesia, including the Greater Sunrise project.

  7. International Order and Sovereignty (4:03:32)

    Debate over the rules-based international order, Trump's peace plan, and Greenland's sovereignty.

  8. Social Cohesion and Slogans (4:17:19)

    Discussion regarding protest slogans, intifada chants, and the impact of the Middle East conflict on social cohesion in Australia.

  9. ISIS Brides and Iran Sanctions (4:30:37)

    Policy considerations regarding the repatriation of ISIS brides, clean energy partnerships, and Iran sanctions.

  10. Aid Integrity and Afghanistan (5:34:27)

    Integrity of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and the environmental legacy of the Ok Tedi mine in Papua New Guinea.

  11. ISIS Brides and Regional Rights (5:51:14)

    Further questioning on ISIS bride repatriation, passport security, and human rights in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

  12. Kevin Rudd's Ambassadorial Term (7:11:45)

    Inquiry into Ambassador Kevin Rudd's term in the United States and potential future international roles.

  13. Consular Cases and Iran (7:32:30)

    Consular assistance for Australians detained in Iraq and Vietnam, and diplomatic engagement regarding Iran and the Philippines.

  14. Pacific Sports and Procurement (8:06:54)

    Funding for Pacific sports diplomacy (NRL deal), ODA procurement integrity, and COP31 hosting preparations.