New Zealand role in Antarctic part of Australian committee visit

24 August 2009

Australia’s Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories is visiting Parliament this week.

The committee is one of 13 joint committees in the Commonwealth of Australia Parliament and was first established in 1956. The committee covers the Australian Antarctic Territory and islands within Australian’s external territories.

The leader of the delegation is the Chair of the committee, Senator Kate Lundy, of the Australian Capital Territory. Other members include the Deputy Chair Patrick Secker, and fellow members Hon Dick Adams, Anna Burke, Paul Neville, and Senators, Trish Crossin, Hon Alan Ferguson, and Gary Humphries.

The group arrived in Christchurch earlier this week and visited the Antarctic Centre.

During its visit to Parliament, the committee is calling on the Speaker. Discussions are also being held with Ministers, MPs and officials representing the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Tokelau and the Chatham Islands.

The committee is currently conducting an inquiry into the changing economic environment in Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories.

The committee is scheduled to return home on Thursday.