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Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

Committee Members

The Committee's resolution of appointment provides that the Committee should consist of 32 members in the following combination:

  • 13 Members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Government Whip or Whips
  • 9 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the opposition Whip or Whips or by an independent Member
  • 5 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate
  • 5 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
  • 2 Senators to be nominated by any minority group or groups or independent Senator or independent Senators.

Senator M Forshaw, Chair (Australian Labor Party, NSW)

The Hon D Hawker MP, Deputy Chair (Liberal Party, Member for Wannon)

Senator M Bishop (Australian Labor Party, WA)

Senator the Hon A Ferguson (Liberal Party, SA - from 1 July 2008)

Senator M Fifield (Liberal Party, VIC)

Senator M Furner (Australian Labor Party, QLD - from 16 March 2009)

Senator S Hanson-Young (Australian Greens, SA - from 4 December 2008))

Senator the Hon D Johnston (Liberal Party, WA - from 23 September 2008)

Senator S Ludlam (Australian Greens, WA - from 26 November 2008)

Senator C M Moore (Australian Labor Party, QLD)

Senator K O'Brien (Australian Labor Party, Tasmania - from 1 July 2008)

Senator M Payne (Liberal Party, QLD) (from 19 March 2008)

Senator R B Trood (Liberal Party, QLD)

The Hon B Baldwin MP (Liberal Party, Member for Paterson)

The Hon A Bevis, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Brisbane)

The Hon J Bishop MP (Liberal Party, Member for Curtin - from 11 March 2009)

Mr M Danby, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Melbourne Ports)

Ms A Ellis, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Canberra)

The Hon J Fitzgibbon, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Hunter - from 15 June 2009)

Mr S W Gibbons, MP (Australian Labor Pary, Member for Bendigo)

Ms S Grierson, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Newscastle)

Mr D Hale, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Solomon)

The Hon I Macfarlane, MP (Liberal Party, Member for Groom)

Mrs L Markus, MP (Liberal Party, Member for Greenway - from 25 September 2008)

The Hon J P Murphy, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Lowe - from 20 March 2009)

Mr R Oakeshott, MP (Independent, Member for Lyne - from 20 March 2009)

Ms M Parke, MP (Australian Labor Party , Member for Fremantle)

Ms K Rea, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Bonner)

Mr B Ripoll, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Oxley)

Mr S Robert, MP (Liberal Party, Member for Fadden)

The Hon P Ruddock, MP (Liberal Party, Member for Berowra)

Ms J Saffin, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Page)

The Hon B Scott, MP (National Party, Member for Maranoa)

Ms M Vamvakinou, MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Calwell)

Senator A Eggleston (Liberal Party, WA) - till 19 March 2008
Senator A Bartlett (Australian Democrats, QLD) - till 30 June 2008
Senator L J Kirk (Australian Labor Party, SA) - till 30 June 2008
Senator the Hon J A L (Sandy) Macdonald (National Party, NSW) - till 30 June 2008
Senator N Stott Despoja (Australian Democrats, SA) - till 30 June 2008
Senator R S Webber (Australian Labor Party, WA) - till 30 June 2008
Senator M Cormann (Liberal Party, WA) - till 23 September 2008
The Hon A Robb AO MP - till 25 September 2008
Senator M Arbib - from 1 July 2008 to 11 March 2009
Ms S Mirabella - till 11 March 2009
Mr K Thomson - till 15 June 2009

Committee Secretary:
Dr Margot Kerley
Ph: 02 6277 2313

Sub-Committee Membership

Under its resolution of appointment, the Committee has the power to establish Sub-Committees, and in the current Parliament has established four Sub-Committees: Foreign Affairs, Defence, Trade and Human Rights. Membership of the Sub-Committees is open to all members of the full Committee. Each Sub-Committee has its own Chair and Deputy Chair. The Chair and Deputy Chair of the full Committee are ex-officio members of each of the Sub-Committees.

Sub-Committee membership is as follows:


Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee Defence Sub-Committee
Mr M Danby MP (Chair)
Senator R Trood (Deputy Chair)

Senator M Bishop
Senator the Hon A Ferguson
Senator M Fifield
Senator M Forshaw (ex officio)
Senator S Ludlam
Senator C Moore
Senator K O'Brien
Senator M Payne
The Hon A Bevis MP
The Hon J Bishop MP
Ms A Ellis MP
The Hon J Fitzgibbon MP
Ms S Grierson MP
Mr D Hale MP
The Hon D Hawker MP (ex officio)
Mrs L Markus MP
The Hon I Macfarlane MP
Mr R Oakeshott MP
Ms M Parke MP
Mr S Robert MP
The Hon P Ruddock MP
The Hon B Scott MP
Ms M Vamvakinou MP

The Hon A Bevis MP (Chair)
The Hon R Baldwin MP (Deputy Chair)

Senator M Bishop
Senator the Hon A Ferguson
Senator M Fifield
Senator M Forshaw (ex officio)
Senator M Furner
Senator the Hon David Johnston
Senator S Ludlam
Senator K O'Brien
Senator M Payne
Senator R Trood
Mr M Danby MP
The Hon J Fitzgibbon MP
Mr S Gibbons MP
Ms S Grierson MP
Mr D Hale MP
The Hon D Hawker MP (ex officio)
Mrs L Markus MP
The Hon I Macfarlane MP
Mr R Oakeshott MP
Mr S Robert MP
Ms J Saffin MP
The Hon B Scott MP

Sub-Committee Secretary:
Dr John Carter
Ph: 02 6277 2313
Sub-Committee Secretary:
Dr Margot Kerley
Ph: 02 6277 2313

Trade Sub-Committee Human Rights Sub-Committee
Ms J Saffin (Chair)
The Hon B Scott MP (Deputy Chair)

Senator the Hon A Ferguson
Senator M Forshaw (ex officio)
Senator M Furner
Mr S Gibbons MP
Mr D Hale MP
The Hon D Hawker MP (ex officio)
Mrs L Markus MP
The Hon I Macfarlane MP
The Hon J Murphy MP
Mr R Oakeshott MP
Mr B Ripoll MP
Ms M Vamvakinou MP

Ms K Rea MP (Chair)
The Hon P Ruddock MP (Deputy Chair)

Senator M Fifield
Senator M Forshaw (ex officio)
Senator M Furner
Senator S Hanson-Young
Senator C Moore
Senator R Trood
Mr M Danby MP
Ms A Ellis MP
Ms S Grierson MP
The Hon D Hawker MP (ex officio)
Mrs L Markus MP
Mr R Oakeshott MP
Ms M Parke MP
Ms M Vamvakinou MP

Sub-Committee Secretary:
Mr Tas Luttrell
Ph: 02 6277 2313
Sub-Committee Secretary:
Ms Samantha Mannette
Ph: 02 6277 2313

For futher information on the Committee and its Sub-Committees contact the Committee Secretariat.

  • A list of former Chairmen of the Committee is available in the Department of the Parliamentary Library's Parliamentary Handbook of the Australian Parliament, published by the Australian Government Publishing Service (AGPS).
  • For details of membership of the Committee and its Sub-Committees in previous Parliaments, contact the Committee Secretariat

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