Name: House of Representatives Chamber (part 1 of 2)
Uploaded: 2026-10-14T21:50:00+00:00
Duration: 25200 s

09:51 - 10:02

Speaker 1

Honourable members, the Speaker.

10:02 - 13:45

Speaker 2

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the traditional custodians of the Canberra area, and pay respect to the elders past and present of all Australia's Indigenous peoples. Almighty God, we humbly beseech thee to vouchsafe thy blessing upon this Parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of thy glory and the true welfare of the people of Australia. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Order, members can take their seats or leave the chamber quickly and quietly.

Order. I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to South America from 15 to 29 July 2026. I am pleased to inform the House that the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to South America took place from 15 to 29 July this year. As leader of this delegation, I would first like to thank the other members of the delegation for their contribution to the visit, Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC and the members for Capricornia, Corangamite, Bullwinkel and Macquarie. The delegation worked very well together and brought a variety of interest and knowledge of issues which proved to be very valuable during our meetings and discussions.

The delegation had programs of meetings and activities in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. I'd like to thank Her Excellency Ms Sarah Roberts, the Australian Ambassador to Argentina, and His Excellency Mr Andrew Martin, Australian Ambassador to Chile, as well as their staff for the valuable briefings and support they provided to the delegation. The aim of the delegation was to deepen parliamentary engagement with legislators in the countries we visited, exchanging experiences of democratic governance and institutional resilience, to strengthen bilateral relations in a region of growing economic and multilateral importance, and to elevate Australia's profile as a trusted partner for sustainable mining, responsible investment and rules-based cooperation, and to advance Australia's economic interests with a focus on critical minerals, mining services, agriculture and clean energy. The delegation held productive discussions with parliamentarians, senior government officials, business leaders and not-for-profit organisations. We also had the privilege of visiting parliaments of each country and I was very pleased to be the first Australian Speaker invited to address a session of the National Assembly of Ecuador.

During my address to the parliament, I emphasised the bilateral ties between Australia and Ecuador as neighbours across the Pacific Ocean with rich indigenous cultures and highlighted the bipartisan delegation's visit as a commitment to strengthen the democratic partnerships between our two nations. Other highlights for the delegation were visiting the National Atomic Energy Commission nuclear facility and the La Rural International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition in Buenos Aires, the BHP remote operations centre in Santiago and the Quito Food Bank, which Australia supports through our direct aid program. On behalf of the delegation, I would like to record our appreciation of the work that went into preparing the visit, including the arrangements made by the staff of the International Parliamentary Relations Office and material provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I also thank the delegation secretary, the Deputy Clerk Mr Peter Banson, for his support to the delegation during the visit. I commend this report to the House.

13:45 - 13:47

Speaker 3

I give the call to the Clerk.

13:47 - 13:59

Speaker 5

Government business, notice number one, statements on the significant matter of the eighth anniversary of the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

13:59 - 14:02

Speaker 4

I give the call to the Attorney-General.

14:02 - 14:46

Speaker 6

Mr Speaker, the 22nd of October will mark eight years since the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse was delivered in this parliament. The national apology followed the immense courage of the thousands of victims and survivors who came forward to share their stories with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Their testimony exposed the devastating consequences of abuse. For many, speaking about their experiences meant revisiting profound trauma and confronting institutions that had failed them. Their willingness to come forward helped ensure that experiences too often hidden or dismissed could no longer be ignored.