The SPEAKER (15:44): For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of the status of government responses to committee reports as of 26 November 2024. The schedule read as follows— Speaker's Schedule of the Status of Government Responses to Committee Reports The Speaker's schedule to the House of Representatives on the status of government responses to committee reports is presented at six monthly intervals. It is usually presented in the last sitting weeks of the winter and spring sittings. The last schedule was presented in the House on 4 July 2024. The schedule presents a list of committee reports that contain recommendations requiring a government response. Government responses received during the period are included in the schedule and the report it relates to is then removed from subsequent schedules. The timeframe for government responses to committee reports in this schedule is determined by the resolution adopted by the House on 29 September 2010. This resolution requires government responses to House and Joint committee reports within six months of the report's presentation in the House. The Senate resolution requires government responses to Senate and Joint committee reports within three months of tabling the report.[1] This schedule does not list reports that do not require a government response. In the past, the practice was to include all reports tabled in the Speaker's schedule. However, the current intent of this schedule is to provide an update to the House solely on the status of government responses to committee reports containing recommendations to government.[2] The schedule does not include advisory reports on bills introduced into the House of Representatives unless the reports make recommendations that are wider than the provision of the bill and would therefore be the subject of a government response. A government response to a bill inquiry report is reflected when the relevant legislation returns for consideration in the House. The schedule does not include reports from the House of Representatives Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests, and the Publications Committee (other than reports on inquiries). Additionally, reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (Public Works Committee) were traditionally excluded from the schedule, as government responses were reflected through motions approving works after the presentation of the relevant report. However, starting with this schedule, Public Works Committee reports will now be included for formal tracking when the relevant expediency statement does not address recommendations. This change ensures that Public Works Committee reports requiring a formal government response will be listed alongside other committee reports. Further, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights' regular scrutiny reports on the human rights compatibility of bills and legislative instruments are not listed, as the timeframe for a response is specified in correspondence to the relevant minister. Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit primarily make administrative recommendations but may also include policy recommendations, which require a formal government response. Responses to administrative recommendations are made in the form of an Executive Minute provided to, and subsequently tabled by, the committee. Agencies responding to administrative recommendations are required to provide an Executive Minute within six months of the tabling of a report. Executive Minutes are included in this schedule and are listed as (Partial response). The table below provides a summary of government responses received and outstanding to committee reports of the 44th to 47th Parliaments inclusive: Parliament Awaiting response (time expired) Awaiting response (time not expired) Response received (time expired) Response received (time not expired) 44th 1 - 1 - 45th 5 - 6 - 46th 14 - 11 - 47th 41 23 33 5 The following table lists responses received (since tabling of the last schedule on 4 July 2024) and outstanding (as at 26 November 2024): Report title Date tabled or published [i] Date of government response [ii] Responded in period specified [iii] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (Joint, Standing) Inquiry into the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Australia 28/11/23 No response to date No Agriculture (House, Standing) Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond 7/12/23 No response to date No Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Joint, Statutory) [ iv ] Examination of the annual report of the Integrity Commissioner 2020-21 30/3/22 No response to date No Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (House, Standing) Inquiry into the 2009 and 2013 amendments to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Protocol) 13/6/23 12/8/24 No Drowning in waste: Plastic pollution in Australia's oceans and waterways 28/5/24 No response to date Time not expired Communications and the Arts (House, Standing) The Future of Regional Newspapers in a Digital World: Inquiry into Australia's regional newspapers 23/3/22 13/8/24 No Connecting the country: Mission critical—Inquiry into co-investment in multi-carrier regional mobile infrastructure 15/11/23 No response to date No Corporations and Financial Services (Joint, Statutory) Impairment of customer loans 4/5/16 4/7/24 No Life insurance industry 27/3/18 4/7/24 No Options for greater involvement by private sector life insurers in worker rehabilitation 24/10/18 4/7/24 No Corporations and Financial Services—Parliamentary Joint Committee— Corporations Amendment (Improving Outcomes for Litigation Funding Participants) Bill 2021 22/11/21 4/7/24 No Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Takeovers Panel and the Corporations Legislation 14/2/19 4/7/24 No Report on the 2017-2018 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 2/4/19 4/7/24 No Regulation of auditing in Australia: Interim Report 27/2/20 4/7/24 No Regulation of auditing in Australia: Final Report 11/11/20 4/7/24 No Report on the 2019-2020 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 25/8/21 No response to date No Statutory inquiry into ASIC, the Takeovers Panel, and the corporations legislation: ASIC licence transfers 10/7/23 No response to date No Corporate insolvency in Australia 12/7/23 No response to date No Statutory inquiry into ASIC, the Takeovers Panel, and the corporations legislation: Competition in clearing and settlement and the ASX CHESS Replacement Project: The CHESS Replacement Project is too important to fail -Interim—April 2024 24/4/24 No response to date Time not expired Economics (House, Standing) Report on the implications of common ownership and capital concentration in Australia 17/3/22 4/7/24 No Better Competition, Better Prices: Report on the inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation 26/3/24 No response to date No Flood failure to future fairness 18/10/24 No response to date Time not expired Electoral Matters (Joint, Standing) Conduct of the 2022 federal election and other matters—Final Report 27/11/23 No response to date No Employment, Education and Training (House, Standing) Shared vision, equal pathways: Inquiry into the perceptions and status of vocational education and training 25/3/24 No response to date No Study Buddy or Influencer 10/9/24 No response to date Time not expired Environment and Energy (House, Standing) Not without your approval: a way forward for nuclear technology in Australia 13/12/19[*] No response to date No Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (Joint, Standing) Second Interim Report: freedom of religion and belief, the Australian experience 3/4/19 No response to date No Inquiry into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australia's foreign affairs, defence and trade 8/12/20 No response to date No Inquiry into PFAS remediation in and around Defence bases: Final report 30/3/22 No response to date No Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2021-22 14/9/23 No response to date No Inquiry into Australia's tourism and international education sectors: 'Quality and Integrity—the Quest for Sustainable Growth': Interim Report into International Education 18/10/23 No response to date No Supporting democracy in our region 16/11/23 No response to date No The pursuit of equality: Inquiry into the rights of women and children 30/11/23 No response to date No 'Are we there yet?': From recovery to resilience—opportunities and challenges for Australia's tourism sector: Final report for the inquiry into Australia's tourism and international education sectors 1/10/24 No response to date Time not expired Inquiry into the Defence Annual Report 2022-23 19/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Health, Aged Care and Sport (House, Standing) Inquiry into childhood rheumatic diseases: Interim Report 31/3/22 10/10/24 No The State of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia in 2024 3/7/24 No response to date Time not expired Human Rights (Joint, Statutory) Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework 30/5/24 No response to date Time not expired Industry, Science & Resources (House, Standing) Sovereign, smart, sustainable: Driving advanced manufacturing in Australia 30/11/23 No response to date No Intelligence and Security (Joint, Statutory) Review of the amendments made by the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 22/12/21 No response to date No Advisory Report on the Intelligence Oversight and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity Measures) Bill 2020 7/2/22 No response to date No Review of the listing and re-listing of eight organisations as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code 26/9/22 No response to date No Advisory Report on the Defence Amendment (Safeguarding Australia's Military Secrets) Bill 2023 14/3/24 No response to date No Advisory report on the amendments made by the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Repudiation) Bill 2023 13/3/24 8/10/24 Yes Review of Administration and Expenditure No. 21 (2021-22)—Australian Intelligence Agencies 26/6/24 No response to date Time not expired Advisory Report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Declared Areas) Bill 2024 12/8/24 23/9/24 Yes Review of the Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2024 12/8/24 9/10/24 Yes Advisory Report on the Cyber Security Legislative Package 2024 18/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Law Enforcement (Joint, Statutory) Inquiry into financial related crime 7/9/15 No response to date No Inquiry into crystal methamphetamine (ice): First Report 6/9/17 No response to date No Inquiry into crystal methamphetamine (ice): Final Report 27/3/18 No response to date No Examination of the Australian Federal Police Annual Report 2015-16 28/3/18 No response to date No Impact of new and emerging information and communications technology 4/4/19 No response to date No Summary report of the 24 June 2020 public hearing on the Australian Institute of Criminology's National Deaths in Custody Program 8/10/20 No response to date No COVID-19, criminal activity and law enforcement 21/6/21 No response to date No Vaccine related fraud and security risks 29/03/22 12/8/24 No Law enforcement capabilities in relation to child exploitation 29/11/24 No response to date No Australia's illicit drug problem: Challenges and opportunities for law enforcement 21/5/24 No response to date No Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (House, Select) Mental Health and Suicide Prevention—Final Report 1/11/21 10/10/24 No Migration (Joint, Standing) Migration, Pathway to Nation Building 9/10/24 No response to date Time not expired National Capital and External Territories (Joint, Standing) A Capital for All Australians: Report of the inquiry into fostering and promoting the significance of Australia's National Capital 6/5/24 No response to date No Northern Australia (Joint, Standing) Final report into the engagement of traditional owners in the economic development of Northern Australia 8/2/22 No response to date No Northern Australia (Joint, Select) Inquiry into the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool: First Report on the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool 27/3/23 No response to date No Northern Australia workforce development: First report 30/11/23 No response to date No Procedure (House, Standing) Maintenance of the standing and sessional orders 18/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Public Accounts and Audit (Joint, Statutory) Report 475: Defence First Principles Review, Naval Construction and Mental Health in the AFP 14/2/19 5/07/2024 No Report 485: Cyber Resilience: Inquiry into Auditor-General's Reports 1 and 13 (2019-20) 9/12/20 Partial response received No Report 486: Regulatory Activities—Inquiry into Auditor-Generals Reports 33, 47, 48 (2019-20) and 5 and 8 (2020-21) 24/8/21 Partial response received No Report 488 Commonwealth Financial Statements 2019-20 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 490 Alternative Financing Mechanisms 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 491 Review of the Auditor-General Act 1997 31/3/22 Partial response received No Report 492 Governance in the Stewardship of Public Resources 12/4/22 Partial response received No Report 494: Inquiry into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's crisis management arrangements 30/3/23 Partial response received No Report 495 Inquiry into Commonwealth grants administration 29/6/23 11/9/24 No Report 497 Inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements 2021-22 29/6/23 16/2/24 No Report 500: Inquiry into procurement at Services Australia and the NDIA—Interim Report 13/9/23 No response to date No Report 499 Inquiry into the Annual Performance Statements 2021-22 17/10/23 Partial response received No Report 502: The never-ending quest for the golden thread: Probity and ethics in the Australian public sector 26/6/24 Partial response received No Report 503: Inquiry into the Defence Major Projects Report 2020-21 and 2021-22 and Procurement of Hunter Class Frigates: Final Report 26/6/24 No response to date Time not expired Report 504: Inquiry into Services Australia and the NDIA: Final Report 26/6/24 No response to date Time not expired Report 505: Inquiry into Policy and Program Design and Implementation 4/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Report 506: Inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements 2022-2023 4/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Public Works (Joint, Statutory) [ v ] Eighty seventh annual report 26/3/24 20/8/24 Yes Report 5/2024: Department of Defence—Australian Defence Force Academy Living-in Accommodation project and other works 1/7/24 No response to date Time not expired Report 7/2024: Department of Defence—Explosive Ordnance Facilities Northern NSW Redevelopment project and other works 5/11/24 No response to date Time not expired Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport (House, Standing) Inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network 15/12/23 No response to date No Social Policy and Legal Affairs (House, Standing) You win some, you lose more: Online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm 26/6/23 No response to date No Recognising, valuing and supporting unpaid carers: Inquiry into the recognition of unpaid carers 27/3/24 No response to date Time not expired Tax and Revenue (House, Standing) 2017 annual report of the Australian Taxation Office: Fairness, functions and frameworks—performance review 21/2/19 4/7/24 No Owning a Share of Your Work: Tax Treatment of Employee Share Schemes 23/8/21 4/7/24 No The Development of the Australian Corporate Bond Market: A Way Forward 25/10/21 4/7/24 No 2018-19 Commissioner of Taxation Annual Report 26/10/21 4/7/24 No The Australian Dream: Inquiry into housing affordability and supply in Australia 17/3/22 4/7/24 No Trade and Investment Growth (Joint, Standing) The Prudential Regulation of Investment in Australia's Export Industries 17/12/21 4/7/24 No Australia's trade and investment opportunities in a global green economy 11/10/23 No response to date No Interim report—Inquiry into the Australian Government's approach to negotiating trade and investment agreements 6/2/24 No response to date Time not expired Strengthening Australia's approach to trade negotiations 1/5/24 No response to date Time not expired Treaties (Joint, Standing) Report 201: Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 16/11/22[*] No response to date No Report 217: AU-US Space launches 3/7/24 No response to date Time not expired Report 218: Fiji Status of Forces; UK Accession CPTPP; IPEF; ILO 191 14/8/24 18/11/24 Yes Workforce Australia Employment Services (House, Select) Your Future Planning—Interim report on ParentsNext 1/3/23[*] 4/7/24 No Rebuilding Employment Services—Final report on Workforce Australia Employment Services 30/11/23 No response to date Time not expired ————— [1] This practice has arisen from a Senate resolution of 14 March 1973, in which the Senate declared its opinion that the government should provide a response to committee reports within three months of tabling. Successive governments have affirmed their commitment to providing such responses. [2] The Liaison Committee of Chairs and Deputy Chairs agreed at its meeting of June 2023 to recommend removal of all outstanding government responses for House or Joint committee reports presented prior to the commencement of the 46th Parliament (2 July 2019), unless the relevant committee’s successor resolved to retain those reports on the schedule. This schedule is reflective of those removals. [i] The date of tabling is the date the report was presented to the House of Representatives or to the Speaker, whichever is earlier. In the case of joint committees, the date shown is the date of first presentation to either the House or the Senate or to the President or Speaker (if presented earlier out of session). Reports published when the House (or Houses) are not sitting are tabled at a later date. [ii] If the source for the government response date is not the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives or the Journals of the Senate, the source is shown in an endnote. [iii] The Government has undertaken to respond to committee reports within a six-month period—see House of Representatives Standing Orders, resolution of the House of Representatives of 29 September 2010. This resolution also puts in place additional steps for reports not responded to within that six-month period. The period from when the 44th Parliament was prorogued on 9 May 2016 to the commencement of the 45th Parliament on 30 August 2016 is not included in the response period. The period from when the 45th Parliament was prorogued on 11 April 2019 to the commencement of the 46th Parliament on 2 July 2019 is not included in the response period. The period from when the 46th Parliament was prorogued on 11 April 2022 to the commencement of the 47th Parliament on 26 July 2022 is not included in the response period. [iv] On 1 July 2023, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI) transitioned into the new National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Accordingly, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity ceased to exist. The oversight of the NACC is undertaken as of that date by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission. [v] Public Works Committee recommendations are typically addressed through the expediency statement when the House approves the public work. In instances where the expediency statement does not address these recommendations, the Public Works Committee reports will now be included in the Speaker’s schedule for formal tracking and response. [*] Presented out of session