Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:23:04 to 2:30:33
Officials outline DFAT's consultation processes for trade agreements and discuss proposed legislation to establish a structured Trade Advisory Group.
Topics: Trade policy, Workplace relations
Speakers: Ravi Kewalram, Senator Matthew Canavan, George Mina, Unknown Speaker
agreements. Um, could you outline what that consultation is and to what extent, deputy secretary, you think it's effective at the moment?
Um, Senator, we have um an extensive uh process of consultation uh before entering into uh new free trade agreements. Uh we typically open uh for submissions. We often uh will do extensive outreach. Uh we will uh place as much information as we can on our websites. Uh so we we do extend quite a lot of information and and request quite a lot of information.
>> So given you you already do those things, I'm just wondering I mean do we need a trade advisory group established under legislation?
Um, Senator uh the purpose of a more structured uh process of consultation would be to uh to do that just to provide greater structure to our our uh our consultation efforts. Um we've just been through about 18 months of a very structured uh consultative mechanism in the minister's trade 2040 task force which included representatives from business peak bodies uh unions and uh and companies and and the the value of that was uh made very clear through the highquality report that that group produced just a couple couple of months ago looking at the future of Australia's trade settings considering uh all of the major trends that are occurring in our trade landscape. Now that experience has informed uh uh the government's interest in taking forward a more structured approach to trade consultation. uh as has uh a long-standing uh request from from many uh parts of the community to to uh contribute in a more structured way to the trade
would the consultation of the last 18 months been improved by a legislative uh legislated uh trade advisory group?
>> Uh thank you Senator Rabi Abram uh first assistant secretary free trade agreements and stakeholder engagement division. Um, Senator, just to add a little bit of context, of course, uh, the recommendation uh for a more structured and indeed legislative legislated um, uh, process uh, also flowed from the joint standing committee on trade and investment growth uh, inquiry on areas of improvement to exist processes uh, for trade and investment agreements and negotiations. That's of course all their page. Exactly. On the committee I think I remember discussing this.
>> Did that recommendation come from DEFAT? >> Did did DEFAT recommend to the minister the need for a legislative trade advisory group?
>> Uh the the um uh recommendation came from the joint standing committee on trade and
>> has has DEFAT recommended or provided advice to the minister that there is a need for a legislated trade advisory
uh are um we we are currently in the process of uh working through the range of the government's uh response uh and providing advice on that. Uh the government u has introduced the legislation uh on the basis of part of the response to the group.
>> Do members of the trade advisory group do members of the proposed trade advisory group require security clearances?
Um the the intention is that they would um sign uh non-disclosure agreements but uh not the full security clearance process as >> uh is in the case with some other systems.
>> Is there anything stopping the establishment of a trade advisory group without legislation?
Um in fact, Senator, the uh trade advisory uh the trade 2040 task force that deputy secretary Mina was referring to uh was not set up by legislation. So in that sense, yes. And u uh but as I say, this was responding
to a specific >> I wanted to check then at that inquiry you referred to earlier. Uh, assistant secretary Miss Holmes did state that um that legislation was not essential uh to uh have a consultation process. Is that that remains defat's position?
>> Um I'm sorry. Do do you mean in terms of sort of consultations in general on
trade? >> Yeah. Well, on trade agreements, it's not essential to have it legislated.
>> It's uh in fact, as um Mr. Demina was saying uh right now before any agreement uh usually we call for submissions, we um engage with uh stakeholders uh and we go back and forth through you know a range of consultations and all of that is does need u uh does not need legislation.
>> Okay. At that parliamentary inquiry, assistant, sorry, Associate Secretary Tim Yin warned that a legislative approach could lock negotiators in to particular approaches and constrain the Australian government's ability to uh to to respond to to changing circumstances in the negotiation. Uh has DEFAD provided advice to the government or the minister about those concerns with a
legislation which was tabled by the minister um earlier this year seeks to strike that balance between ensuring flexibility but also ensuring um clear voices legislated that will be providing advice but it that that was a dynamic that was considered in the um drafting of the bill.
>> Okay. Uh the legislation does mandate the appointment of trade union representatives on the on the group. Did DEFAT recommend uh that?
>> Um Senator the first of all as as you note it it's bill it's uh not yet um um not yet legislation. Um, we worked very closely with the government in uh providing advice on drafting the bill. I I think that's probably as far as I can
>> Okay. Um, all right. Moving on. I just want to quickly touch on uh a few weeks ago, Minister, you raised the prospect that Australian super funds could invest in the US lamb industry. What's the status of that proposal?