Preliminary Pages

Membership of the Committee

Chair	Mr Kelvin Thomson MP
Deputy Chair	Senator Simon Birmingham
Members	Mr Jamie Briggs MP	Senator David Fawcett
	Mr Laurie Ferguson MP	Senator Scott Ludlam
	Mr John Forrest MP	Senator the Hon Lisa Singh
	Ms Sharon Grierson MP	Senator Dean Smith (from 9/5/12)
	Mr Harry Jenkins MP	Senator Matthew Thistlethwaite
	Ms Kirsten Livermore MP	Senator the Hon Lin Thorp (from 21/6/12)
	Ms Melissa Parke MP	Senator Anne Urquhart (until 21/6/12)
	The Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP

 

Committee Secretariat

 

Secretary	Russell Chafer ( from 9/7/12) James Catchpole ( until 9/7/12)
Inquiry Secretary	Kevin Bodel
Senior Researcher	Dr Andrew Gaczol
Administrative Officers	Heidi Luschtinetz
	Michaela Whyte

Resolution of Appointment

 

The Resolution of Appointment of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties allows it to inquire into and report on:

a)                  matters arising from treaties and related National Interest Analyses and proposed treaty actions and related Explanatory Statements presented or deemed to be presented to the Parliament;

b)                 any question relating to a treaty or other international instrument, whether or not negotiated to completion, referred to the committee by:

(i)                 either House of the Parliament, or

(ii)              a Minister; and

c)                  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 recommendations

 

2     Previous Parliamentary initiatives to scrutinise the treaty making process

Recommendation 1

That prior to commencing negotiations for a new agreement, the Government table in Parliament a document setting out its priorities and objectives including the anticipated costs and benefits of the agreement.

3     Treaties Ratification Bill 2012

Recommendation 2

That the Treaties Ratification Bill 2012 not be passed by the House of Representatives or the Senate.