COMMITTEES

The SPEAKER (09:01): For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of the status of government responses to committee reports as of 21 November 2025. The schedule will be incorporated in Hansard. The schedule read as follows — Speaker's Schedule of the Status of Government Responses to Committee Reports As at 21 November 2025 The Speaker's schedule to the House of Representatives on the status of government responses to committee reports is generally 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 26 November 2024.[1] 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. The timeframe is not inclusive of any period where the House was dissolved. This resolution requires government responses to House and Joint committee reports within six months of the report's presentation in the House.[2] The Senate resolution requires government responses to Senate and Joint committee reports within three months of tabling the report.[3] 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.[4] 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 on treaties referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (Treaties Committee) unless a report makes recommendations that are broader than the ratification of the treaty in question. This may include recommendations relating to additional consultation or requesting changes to the treaty.

The ratification, or non-ratification, of a treaty is considered to constitute a government response and the government should communicate this outcome to the Treaties Committee. 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).

Further, as of the last schedule (dated 24 November 2024), reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (Public Works Committee) are included for formal tracking when the relevant expediency statement does not address recommendations. 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) and are not considered complete or removed from the schedule until all recommendations have been responded to. [1] The schedule was not presented during the 2025 winter sittings due to the prorogation and dissolution of the House of Representatives on 28 March 2025. . This is consistent with previous practice; there was no schedule during the winter sittings in 2022 due to the federal election held on 21 May 2022. [2] The resolution adopted by the House of Representatives on 29 September 2010 details the requirements for government to provide responses to committee reports within specified time periods, and processes to be followed should a response not be forthcoming. [3] 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. [4] 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 or resolutions to retain the relevant reports. The table below provides a summary of government responses received and outstanding to committee reports of the 44th to 48th Parliaments inclusive: Parliament Awaiting response (time expired) Awaiting response (time not expired) Response received (time expired) Response received (time not expired) 44th 1 - - - 45th 5 - - - 46th 11 - 1 - 47th 50 6 17 4 48th - 1 - - The following table lists responses received (since tabling of the last schedule on 26 November 2024) and outstanding as at 21 November 2025: 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 Inquiry into economic self-determination and opportunities for First Nations Australians 26/11/24 No response to date No Agriculture (House, Standing) Australian Food Story: Feeding the Nation and Beyond 7/12/23 No response to date No Advisory Report: Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024 21/6/24 4/2/25 No Trading North: Inquiry into the role of Australian agriculture in Southeast Asian Markets 27/11/24 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) Drowning in waste: Plastic pollution in Australia's oceans and waterways 28/5/24 No response to date No Communications and the Arts (House, Standing) Connecting the country: Mission critical—Inquiry into co-investment in multi-carrier regional mobile infrastructure 15/11/23 31/3/25 No Am I Ever Gonna See You Live Again?

Yes way! You bet! Oh yeah! 27/3/25 No response to date Time not expired Corporations and Financial Services (Joint, Statutory) Report on the 2019-2020 annual reports of bodies established under the ASIC Act 25/8/21 4/2/25 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 25/3/25 No Financial abuse: an insidious form of domestic violence 5/12/24 No response to date No Wholesale investor and wholesale client tests 13/2/25 No response to date No Economics (House, Standing) 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 No Electoral Matters (Joint, Standing) Conduct of the 2022 federal election and other matters—Final Report 27/11/23 25/3/25 No From Classroom to Community: Civics education and political participation in Australia 5/2/25 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 No The future of work: Inquiry into the digital transformation of workplaces 11/2/25 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 24/7/25 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 2/9/25 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 No Inquiry into the Defence Annual Report 2022-23 19/11/24 25/3/25 No Pursuing the Priorities of the Pacific Inquiry into Australia's alignment with the priorities of Pacific Island countries 28/11/24 No response to date No Inquiry into Australia's efforts to advocate for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty 4/2/25 No response to date No Inquiry into the review of the operation of the amendments made by the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Magnitsky-style and Other Thematic Sanctions) Act 2021 25/3/25 No response to date No Health, Aged Care and Sport (House, Standing) The State of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia in 2024 3/7/24 No response to date No Issues paper relating to the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia 27/3/25 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 No Compulsory Income Management 2/9/24 No response to date No Inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities 12/2/25 No response to date No Implementation of the National Redress Scheme (Joint, Standing) Redress: Journey to Justice 26/11/24 No response to date No Industry, Science & Resources (House, Standing) Sovereign, smart, sustainable: Driving advanced manufacturing in Australia 30/11/23 27/11/24 No Food for Thought: The opportunities and challenges for Australia's food and beverage manufacturing industry 20/2/25 No response to date Time not expired Intelligence and Security (Joint, Statutory) Review of the amendments made by the Telecommunications and 22/12/21 No response to date No Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 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 Cyber Security Legislative Package 2024 18/11/24 4/2/25 Yes Advisory report on the Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia's Transport Sector) Bill 2024 25/3/25 8/10/25 Yes Advisory report on the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025 5/11/25 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 An Australian Standard for the training and use of privately contracted security and detection dogs 16/02/21 No response to date No COVID-19, criminal activity and law enforcement 21/6/21 No response to date No Criminal Code Amendment (Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material) Act 2019 9/2/22 No response to date No Law enforcement capabilities in relation to child exploitation 29/11/23 No response to date No Australia's illicit drug problem: Challenges and opportunities for law enforcement 21/5/24 No response to date No Migration (Joint, Standing) Migration, Pathway to Nation Building 9/10/24 No response to date No 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 Australia's Antarctic Territory Report on the Inquiry into the Importance of Antarctica to Australia's National Interests 10/2/25 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 Northern Australia Workforce Development: Final Report 27/11/24 No response to date No Interim report on energy, food and water security 27/11/24 No response to date No Final Report on the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool 26/3/25 No response to date No Nuclear Energy (House, Select) Interim report for the inquiry into nuclear power generation in Australia 26/3/25 No response to date Time not expired Parliamentary Standards (Joint Select) Final report 29/11/22 25/3/25 No Procedure (House, Standing) Maintenance of the standing and sessional orders 18/11/24 13/2/25 Yes Public Accounts and Audit (Joint, Statutory) 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 500: Inquiry into procurement at Services Australia and the NDIA—Interim Report 13/9/23 Partial response received 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 Partial response received No Report 504: Inquiry into Services Australia and the NDIA: Final Report 26/6/24 Partial response received No Report 505: Inquiry into Policy and Program Design and Implementation 4/11/24 Partial response received No Report 506: Inquiry into Commonwealth Financial Statements 2022-2023 4/11/24 Partial response received No Report 507: Defence 2022-23 Major Projects Report 4/2/25 Partial response received No Report 511: Inquiry into the contract management frameworks operated by Commonwealth entities 25/3/25 Partial response received No Report 509: Inquiry into public sector information technology procurement and projects 25/3/25 Partial response received No Report 510: Inquiry into the use and governance of artificial intelligence systems by public sector entities—'Proceed with Caution' 25/3/25 No response to date No Report 512: Report of the inquiry into the administration of Commonwealth regulations 26/3/25 Partial response received No Public Works (Joint, Statutory) [v] Report 5/2024: Department of Defence—Australian Defence Force Academy Living-in Accommodation project and other works 1/7/24 No response to date No 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 Interim report into local government sustainability 27/3/25 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 No Inquiry into family violence orders 13/2/25 1/9/25 Yes Trade and Investment Growth (Joint, Standing) 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 No Strengthening Australia's approach to trade negotiations 1/5/24 No response to date No Interim report: Inquiry into the understanding and utilisation of benefits under free trade agreements 5/12/24 No response to date No Final report: Inquiry into the understanding and utilisation of benefits under free trade agreements 28/2/25 No response to date No 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 No [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. The period from when the 47th Parliament was prorogued on 28 March 2025 to the commencement of the 48th Parliament on 22 July 2025 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 be included in the Speaker's schedule for formal tracking and response.