The Australian Labor Government doesn’t know how many treaties we are a party to.
Senate Estimates revealed despite thousands of treaties on its database, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade doesn’t know which treaties are still active.
Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan said Labor didn’t even know how many international treaties Australia had signed, raising concerns about which others could be used by Labor to strip away more of Australians’ property rights.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Chief Counsel and First Assistant Secretary Adam McCarthy said he couldn’t say how many treaties Australia is currently a party to, because “it’s difficult to pin down an exact number, there are over 2000 entries in the treaties database”.
Mr McCarthy also told Estimates, “we can’t vouch 100 per cent for the accuracy of those first couple of decades”, because the Department instead has a list of every treaty recorded since 1919, as well as every amendment to every treaty.
Senator Canavan said the Estimates findings showed it was clear there was a need for an audit of the international treaties that Australia is a party to.
“When Labor cannot even explain how many treaties we are a party to, we must ask ourselves, do the thousands of international agreements that we have signed up to serve the national interest and protect the sovereignty of Australian people?” Senator Canavan said.
“Any agreement that Australia is a party to must serve the interests of Australians, not foreign countries and institutions.
“It is time that an audit is done. Too often, international agreements have become weaponised to take away the property rights of Australians. The increasing abuse of the external affairs powers is weakening our nation.”
New South Wales Senator Ross Cadell said the treaties listed on the Department’s website aren’t all valid, which means no one knows which treaties are valid.
“Australians deserve to know, which treaties are still in effect and which treaties aren’t,” Senator Cadell said.
“The Department has admitted there is no central list, despite some treaties triggering so-called international obligations. To find the treaties, there are endless clicks required into the thousands to try and figure out how many treaties actually exist and are active and valid.
“If the Department can’t say how many treaties Australia is a party to, how can they possibly know that the treaties are actually being monitored?
“And who knows if Australia’s action are in line with everything we are required to do, if we don’t even have a list of active treaties?”
Senator Canavan said the Coalition’s audit will be governed by two overriding principles.
One, is the agreement in our national interest and does it unduly restrain our national sovereignty? And, two, is the agreement being weaponised to weaken our Federation and take away the rights of states, farmers and local communities?
“The only people that should decide what happens in this country are the Australian people,” Senator Canavan said.
