DELEGATION REPORTS
The SPEAKER (09:01): I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation's bilateral visits to Malaysia, Bangladesh and Türkiye from 6 to 13 April 2026 and the attendance at the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 15 to 19 April 2026. I'm pleased to report to the House the work of the delegation to the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Istanbul in April this year.
I was honoured to once again lead this high-level delegation consisting of the Deputy Speaker Ms Sharon Claydon, Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC, Senator Deborah O'Neill, Mr Basem Abdo MP and Senator Tammy Tyrrell. I thank the delegation for their commitment, diligence and hard work. The delegation focused on four key themes: sustainability, civics and democracy, gender equality and representation, and financial transparency.
During the 152nd assembly in Türkiye, I was appointed a vice-president of the IPU, to represent the Asia-Pacific Group, and, as chairperson of the IPU executive Sub-Committee on Finance, I reported on the IPU's financial situation to the geopolitical groups and answered questions from the floor. Australia co-sponsored a successful proposal for the emergency debate, which focused on the need for parliamentary efforts to support peace building within the Middle East.
Senator O'Neill, in her capacity as a co-rapporteur to the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, proposed a resolution entitled 'Building a fair and sustainable global economy'. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the 152nd assembly on 19 April as an IPU resolution. Ms Clayton MP, as a member of the IPU Women's Bureau, served as rapporteur to the Forum of Women Parliamentarians for its debate on Senator O'Neill's proposed resolution.
Senator McLachlan served on the drafting committee for the emergency item on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group, and Mr Abdo contributed to the general debate along with Senator O'Neill and me. The IPU was founded in 1889 as the first permanent political forum for international negotiation, providing the origins for multilateral cooperation. The Australian parliament was first invited to participate in the IPU in 1906.
Although Australia didn't attend any assemblies until 1928, we provided a grant of 50 pounds annually from 1915 to 1918 in solidarity and support of the IPU's efforts to settle international disputes by peaceful means. During the assembly, I was really proud to launch a historical timeline which details the history of Australia's engagement with the IPU. Over 70 years of engagement, Australia has consistently advocated for equal rights of women and the full engagement of Pacific island parliaments.
In fact, Australia took the initiative in 1985 to foster closer ties by hosting a gathering of IPU members from our region. That gathering was formalised some years later as a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Group, which continues to this day and in which our Pacific island neighbours play a key role. Australia went on to chair the Asia-Pacific Group four times, including in 2023, when I had the privilege of chairing the group.
Considering the deep history of engagement within the IPU, the organisation has never been led by a parliamentarian from the Pacific region, and it's a great honour to advise the House that the Australian National Group of the IPU on 22 June this year unanimously endorsed me as the Australian representative for the position of IPU president. The Australian National Group is made up of parliamentarians from all sides of this chamber and the other place, which makes this an incredible privilege to have support from all sides of politics.
During the bilateral visit to Malaysia, the delegation met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable Tan Sri Dato' Dr Johari bin Abdul, and the President of the Senate, Senator, the Honourable Dato' Awang Bemee bin Awang Ali Basah, and other parliamentarians of the Parliament of Malaysia, as well as a range of civil society representatives and representatives from the United Nations and other regional bodies.
During the bilateral visit to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the delegation met with the honourable Tarique Rahman, the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Honourable Havis Uddin Ahmad, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament, and the Honourable Shama Obaed Islam, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs. The delegation also participated in roundtable discussions with representatives from civil society organisations and UN organisations.
In Istanbul the delegation visited the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and attended the screening of The Forgotten Pacific documentary. Hosted by Australia, the film screening included contributions from Ms Claydon and the Honourable Filimone Jitoko, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank a number of officials who contributed to this high-level and historic successful visit: in Malaysia, Her Excellency Ms Danielle Heinecke, the High Commissioner to Malaysia, and her team in Bangladesh; Her Excellency Ms Susan Ryle, the High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and her team; in Istanbul and throughout the 152nd IPU Assembly, Her Excellency Ms Sally-Anne Vincent, PSM, Ambassador to Turkiye, and her team, Mr Tony Huber, the Consul-General of Turkiye; and the Parliamentary Library and DFAT who provided helpful background material.
Finally, the delegation wishes also to thank the team in the International Parliamentary Relations Office, the Senate Procedure Office, delegation Secretary Dr Jane Thomson, and, finally, Ms Fattimah Imtoualfor assisting the delegation at the assembly. I thank the House.