House of Representatives Committees


| Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

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Preliminary Pages

Foreword

The Inquiry into Australia’s Relations with India as an Emerging World Power was first adopted by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in the 41st Parliament, in March 2006. Although a draft report of the Inquiry had been prepared by the end of that Parliament, The Committee was unable to table a final report prior to the prorogation of the Parliament in October 2007.

The Committee was re-established in 12 February 2008 with a new Chair, Senator Michael Forshaw, and a significant change in membership. The Committee readopted the original Terms of Reference, and evidence already received, on 27 August 2008. In view of the significant lapse of time since the first draft was prepared the Committee sought updated submissions from the relevant Departments and other organisations and persons who had provided submissions and/or given evidence in the previous hearings.

The present Report is the result of revision by the Committee of the previous draft report taking into the further submissions and updated material.

In announcing the original Inquiry, the then Chair, Senator Alan Ferguson acknowledged the importance of the relationship particularly having regard to   recent economic growth that had transformed India into an emerging world power. These conditions continue today. The Australian Government continues to place importance upon strengthening the relationship with India and the supplementary material received by the Committee during the present Parliament reinforces this fact.

During the last few months three significant events have occurred which have a direct bearing on matters raised in the Committee’s Inquiry. They have not been able to be canvassed in this report but they nevertheless re-emphasise the importance of the relationship at both the country to country and multi-lateral levels.

The first of these is the Global Economic Crisis which has hit India hard and which has implications for all aspects of Australia’s trade and investment relationship with the country. Secondly, the terrorist attacks on Mumbai on 26 November 2008 directly affected India’s commercial and tourist interests. Finally, India’s recent general election, the largest democratic elections held anywhere in the world, are a tribute to the robust nature of Indian democracy. It is these democratic values which we share that will continue to provide the foundations of Australia’s relationship with India.

 

 

Senator M Forshaw

Chair

 

Membership of the Committee – 41st Parliament

 

Chair

Senator M A Payne

Senator A B Ferguson (until 15/8/2007)

Deputy Chair

Hon G J Edwards MP

 

Members

Senator A Bartlett

Senator P M Crossin

 

Senator A Eggleston

Senator S Hutchins

 

Senator L J Kirk

Senator the Hon. S Macdonald

 

Senator C M Moore

Senator N J Stott Despoja

 

Senator R B Trood

Senator R S Webber

 

Hon B G Baird, MP

Mr P A Barresi, MP

 

Mr M Danby, MP

Mrs T Draper, MP

 

Mrs J Gash, MP

Mr S W Gibbons, MP

 

Mr B W Haase, MP

Mr M J Hatton, MP

 

Hon D F Jull, MP

Hon J E Moylan, MP

 

Hon G D Prosser, MP

Hon B C Scott, MP

 

Mr R C G Sercombe , MP

Hon W E Snowdon, MP

 

Dr A J Southcott, MP

Mr C Thompson, MP

 

Ms M Vamvakinou, MP

Mr B H Wakelin, MP

 

Mr K W Wilkie, MP

 

 

Membership of the Committee – 42nd Parliament

Chair

Senator M Forshaw

 

Deputy Chair

The Hon D Hawker MP

 

Members

Senator M Arbib (from 01/07/08 till 11/03/09)

Senator A Bartlett (till 30/06/08)

Senator M Bishop

Senator M Cormann (till 23/09/08)

Senator A Eggleston (till 19/03/08)

Senator the Hon A Ferguson

(from 01/07/08)

Senator M Fifield

Senator M Furner (from 16/03/08)

Senator S Hanson-Young (from 04/12/08)

Senator the Hon D Johnston

(from 23/09/08)

Senator L J Kirk (till 30/06/08)

Senator S Ludlam (from 26/11/08)

Senator the Hon J A L (Sandy) Macdonald (till 30/06/08)

Senator C M Moore

Senator K O’Brien (from 01/07/08)

Senator M Payne (from 19/03/08)

Senator N Stott Despoja (till 30/06/08)

Senator R Trood

Senator R S Webber (till 30/06/08)

The Hon B Baldwin MP

The Hon A Bevis MP

The Hon J Bishop MP (from 11/03/08)

Mr M Danby MP

Ms A Ellis MP

The Hon J Fitzgibbon MP (from 15/06/09)

Mr S W Gibbons MP

Ms S Grierson MP

Mr D Hale MP

The Hon I Macfarlane MP

Mrs L Markus MP (from 25/09/08)

Ms S Mirabella MP (till 16/03/09)

The Hon J Murphy MP  (from 20/03/09)

Mr R Oakeshott MP (from 20/03/09)

Ms M Parke MP

Ms K Rea MP

Mr B Ripoll MP

The Hon A Robb AO MP (till 25/09/08)

Mr S Robert MP

The Hon P Ruddock MP

Ms J Saffin MP

The Hon B Scott MP

Mr K Thomson MP (till 15/06/09)

Ms M Vamvakinou MP

Secretary

Dr M Kerley

 

 

Committee Secretariat – 41st Parliament

 

Secretary

Dr Margot Kerley

Research Officers

Mr Michael Crawford
Mr Ryan Crowley

Administrative Officers

Ms Jessica Butler

 

Ms Emma Martin
Ms Sonya Gaspar

 

 

Committee Secretariat –

42nd Parliament

 

Secretary

Research Officer

Dr Margot Kerley

Dr Brian Lloyd

Office Manager

Mrs Donna Quintus-Bosz

Administrative Officers

Mr Paul Jeanroy
Ms Sonya Gaspar

Mrs Gillian Drew

 

Terms of reference

 

The full committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade shall examine and report on Australia’s relationship with India as an emerging world power with particular reference to:

  • Trade and tourism including investment opportunities
  • The defence relationship
  • The strategic possibilities for both nations resulting from increasing globalisation and regional imperatives

 

List of abbreviations

 

ACIAR

Australian Centre for Intentional Agricultural Research

ABLE

Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises

AEI

Australian Education International

AIBC

Australia-India Business Council

AISRF

Australia – India Strategic Research Fund

ANU

Australian National University

ANZ

Australia New Zealand

AQIS

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service

ASEAN

Association of South East Asian Nations

ATC

Australian Tourism Commission

AusAID

Australian Agency for International Development

AUD

Australian Dollar

Austrade

Australian Trade Commission

AVCC

Australian Vice Chancellors Committee

AWB

Australian Wheat Board

CSIRO

Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation

DBT

Department of Biotechnology

DEST

Department of Education Science and Training

DFAT

Department of Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade

DIMA

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs

DITR

Department of Industry Tourism and Resources

FDI

Foreign Direct Investment

Go8

Group of Right

HIV-AIDS

Human Immunodeficiency Virus – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

ICT

Information and Communication Technology

IDP

International Development Program

IITB

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

ILD

International Long Distance

IP

Intellectual Property

IPR

Intellectual Property Rights

IT

Information Technology

JSCFADT

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade

JWG

Joint Working Group

KRS

Knights Restructuring Services

LNG

Liquefied Natural Gas

MOU

Memoranda of Understanding

MP

Member of Parliament

NAB

National Australia Bank

NRE

National Resources Environment

NSW

New South Wales

PEC

Perth Education City

QETI

Queensland Education and Training International

TA

Tourism Australia

UK

United Kingdom

UN

United Nations

US

United States

USD

United States Dollar

VET

Vocational Education and Training

WA

Western Australia

WTO

World Trade Organisation

 

 

 

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