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Chair for the joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade (JSCFADT), senator David Fawcett, has confirmed the terms of reference and called for submissions for an inquiry into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade.
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The reality of COVID-19 has prompted Australia’s political and strategic apparatus to accept that the nation’s preparedness and resilience to an age of disruption in a globalised world is lacking. While the subject du jour – enhancing Australia’s national resilience, sovereignty and security – is alive and well, the debate means Australia will ultimately be the winner.
With each passing day the impact of the coronavirus upon global supply chains is becoming painfully apparent, with Australia’s economy teetering on the edge of disaster, national resilience declining and public support for a co-ordinated response growing.
In response, Senator Fawcett has formally confirmed that the Commonwealth government will be initiating an inquiry into the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade.
Senator Fawcett, emphasised the strategic shock that COVID-19 has delivered to long-held assumptions that have underpinned some of Australia’s policy frameworks in recent decades. Learning from the impacts of COVID-19, and understanding future risks and opportunities, will play a key role in considered decision-making as Australia charts a path into a changed world.
The JSCFADT will inquire into the strategic implications of COVID-19, having particular regard to:
- Implications for Australia’s foreign affairs, defence and trade policy, particularly with respect to strategic alliances and regional security;
- Threats to the global rules-based order that emerged due to actions by nation-states during the pandemic, and how such threats can be mitigated in the event of future crises;
- The impact on human rights;
- Supply chain integrity/assurance to critical enablers of Australian security (such as health, economic and transport systems, and defence);
- What policy and practical measures would be required to form an ongoing effective national framework to ensure the resilience required to underpin Australia’s economic and strategic objectives; and
- Any related matters.
"Although the effects of the pandemic are still unfolding, governments will be making decisions that are going to underpin Australia’s future international position. The committee’s inquiry will bring together a range of expert stakeholders to help inform and test the basis of those decisions," Senator Fawcett explained.
One of the core questions for the inquiry is how to balance the risks and opportunities presented by global connectivity in trade and security partnerships within the international rules-based order.
Senator Fawcett added, "The pandemic has reinforced the fact that the efficient and effective functioning of critical domestic systems such as health and transport are currently linked to – and reliant on – the integrity of supply chains which we do not control and may be subject to disruption.
"Now is the time to analyse how Australia can take a systemic, risk-based approach to ensuring supply chain integrity, even in the event of market failure due to unforeseen external factors such as pandemic, conflict or natural disaster."
The inquiry will consider policy and practical measures that could form an ongoing effective national framework to ensure the resilience required to underpin Australia’s economic and strategic objectives.
Full terms of reference for the inquiry are on the committee website. Submissions can be made until 30 June 2020.
