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As part of its lobbying work, Oxfam Australia produces policy and submissions papers for the Australian Government and International organisations and institutions.
2009
- Submission to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research: The Recommendations set out in the TCF Review Report Building Innovative Capability. January 2009. (PDF, 98KB)
- This submission is based on Oxfam Australia’s work over the last 13 years to promote the labour rights of workers in the textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industry in Asia and Australia. Our submission particularly addresses the review’s recommendation that the government should establish an Ethical Quality Mark for clothes produced according to defined standards in terms of workers’ rights, animal rights and the environment. See also our original May 2008 submission to this review (below).
2008
- Submission to the Department of Innovation of Industry, Science and Research: Review of the TCF Industry. May 2008. (PDF, 102KB)
- This submission is based on Oxfam Australia’s work over the last 13 years to promote the labour rights of workers in the textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industry in Asia and Australia. This work includes in-depth field research; dialogue with workers, companies and multi-stakeholder initiatives; the production of detailed evidence-based reports; and providing funding support for organisations which directly work with TCF workers. See also our January 2009 submission in response to the recommendations arising from this review (above).
- Submission on Australian Defence White Paper "Australian Defence Policy and Civilian Protection" (PDF 82kb)
- This submission is Oxfam Australia’s contribution to the Australian Government’s Defence White Paper consultation process, based on our extensive knowledge and experience around the globe and in the Pacific region in the field of humanitarian response.
- Submission to Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) 12 month review (PDF 162kb)
- This submission draws on relevant aspects of Oxfam Australia’s work in Indigenous Australia for more than thirty years, and our support for a range of partner organisations engaged in monitoring and evaluating the impacts of the NTER. It also draws on our experience in community development around the world over 50 years to illustrate ways in which we believe the NTER could be improved.
- Submission to the Inquiry into economic and security challenges facing Papua New Guinea and the island states of the southwest Pacific (PDF 700kb)
- This submission presents the preliminary findings of a body of research examining human security and violence issues in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. These findings have been used to extrapolate recommendations for practical ways the Australian Government can contribute towards supporting human security and violence reduction in PNG and the island nations of the southwest Pacific.
- Submission to the Inquiry into disclosure regimes for charities and not-for-profit organisations (PDF 242 kb)
- This submission asks the Federal Government to uphold and foster the unique place of charities within Australian society and to consult effectively with charitable organisations to ensure that the regulatory environment maximizes their effectiveness and accountability.
- Partnering with our neighbours – Realising the Potential of Pacific Partnerships for Development (PDF 297KB)
- The Rudd Government’s commitment to establish Partnerships for Development with Pacific Island nations heralds a new approach for Australia’s engagement in the region. Drawing on Oxfam Australia’s experience in the Pacific region, this paper highlights the many opportunities presented by the Partnerships for Development. Its primary purpose is to assist Australia and Pacific nations in their efforts to work together in partnership to tackle inequality, support sustainable development and increase gender equality.
- Trade Agreements and Development in the Pacific (PACER Plus) (PDF 65KB)
- The small island states of the Pacific are negotiating a number of important trade agreements. All of these, including the negotiation with Australia of a PACER -Plus agreement, will have major implications for development, and will shape their economies and societies for generations to come. This submission analyses the key assumptions of trade liberalisation and makes recommendations on how the Australian Government can assist small island nations to use international trade to enhance their development.
- Submission to Inquiry into E-Petitioning (PDF 35kb)
- This submission expresses Oxfam Australia’s strong support for the introduction of an electronic petition system and shares with the Committee our experience of using electronic petitions and other forms of electronic communication between citizens and their political representatives.
- Submission to Senate Select Committee on Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities (PDF 293kB)
- This submission draws on relevant aspects of Oxfam Australia’s work in Indigenous Australia for more than thirty years, including in remote communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria in north-west Queensland, and our support for a range of partner organisations engaged in monitoring and evaluating the impacts of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).
2007
- Oxfam Australia's submission for the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Inquiry into Australia’s Involvement in Peacekeeping (PDF 139KB)
- Oxfam Australia operates in many locations where the Australian Government has accepted responsibility for providing peacekeeping assistance. Our submission advocates for the Australian Government to develop a strategy to implement the international principle of the Responsibility to Protect, inclusive of all relevant government departments. Such a strategy would provide a clear policy framework for the deployment of Australian peacekeepers and hence satisfy the objectives of this inquiry.
2006
- Offside! Labour Rights and Sportswear Production in Asia (PDF, 4MB)
- The 2006 Oxfam International report Offside! Labour Rights and Sportswear Production in Asia examines how sports brands are tackling the problem of sweatshops in their industry with a particular focus on workers’ freedom to form and join trade unions. The report features nine case studies that document how sports brands have responded to evidence of labour rights abuses in particular factories. In some cases they have responded well and addressed the problems while in others labour abuses continue.
- Oxfam Australia's submission to the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development's Roundtable Discussion on Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals in the Australian Aid Program (PDF 49KB)
- Oxfam Australia believes that ensuring the realisation of sexual and reproductive health rights is crucial in addressing women's inequality. A major factor impacting on the realisation of these rights is HIV and AIDS. Hence any attempt to achieve the Millennium Development Goals must first address women's vulnerability to HIV as part of a broader strategy. September 2006
- Submission to the inquiry into Australia's aid program in the Pacific being conducted by the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (PDF 317KB)
- Oxfam Australia has been working in the Pacific region since the 1960s. Our submission analyses the Australian aid program in the Pacific drawing on discussions with our field-based staff, local partner organisations and previous research in the region. June 2006
- Submission to the inquiry into the provisions of the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006 (PDF 68KB)
- The Australian Government has proposed changes to refugee policy to allow for all asylum seekers arriving by boat to be processed offshore.
The Bill has been sent to the Australian Government Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee for consideration before it is comes before the Australian parliament. May 2006 - Submission to the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee - Inquiry into Pacific region seasonal contract labour (PDF 47KB)
- Oxfam Australia believes that seasonal work programs alone cannot address the many development challenges facing the region. But the creation of new opportunities for unskilled workers to access the Australian and New Zealand labour markets can make an important contribution to Pacific social and economic development, to complement Australia's official development assistance program. March 2006
2005
- Submission to Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (PDF 49KB)
- Oxfam Australia values the opportunity to contribute to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services' Inquiry into corporate responsibility. September 2005
- Submission to the Australian government's White Paper on aid process (PDF 79KB)
- The Federal Government's White Paper on Aid is due to be published in early 2006 and will be outlining the strategic direction of the Australian aid program in Asia and the Pacific for the next 5 to 10 years. Oxfam Australia's submission offers a series of ideas and areas for innovation in Australia's approach to development and foreign policy. August 2005
- Submission to the Steering Group on the Timor-Leste Draft Petroleum Fund Act (PDF 34KB)
- Future development in East Timor depends on how wisely the East Timorese government uses oil and gas revenue from the Timor Sea. Oxfam Australia recently made a submission to the Steering Group on the Timor-Leste Draft Petroleum Fund Act calling for future Timorese governments to transparently manage oil and gas revenues for the benefit of the men, women and children of East Timor. May 2005
2004
- Submission to the Senate Select Committee on the Administration of Indigenous Affairs (PDF 494KB)
- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA) does not advocate a particular specific model for an alternative to ATSIC and ATSIS. These are primarily matters for Indigenous Australians, Indigenous organisations and their key stakeholders to provide comment on. However, OCAA has previously stated its belief that the abolition of ATSIC should be halted until an alternative representative structure based on the explicit wishes and participation of Indigenous Australia, is in place. However, given that the Federal government has begun to effectively dismantle ATSIC and ATSIS, this is a difficult position to continue to advocate. 6 August 2004
2003
- Consultation By The Board Of Taxation On The Definition Of A Charity (PDF 21KB)
- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad welcomes this opportunity to provide input to Board of Taxation consultation on the definition of a charity. This submission should be read in conjunction with Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's previous submission to the Federal Government's Inquiry into the Definition of Charities and Related Organisations. 29 September 2003
- ATSIC Review Panel Discussion Paper (PDF 32KB)
- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the ATSIC Review Discussion Paper. 29 August 2003
- Between Iraq and a Hard Place (PDF 71KB)
- In light of its involvement in Iraq, the Australian Government should change its contradictory stance on Iraqi refugees and provide permanent residency to Iraqis already living in Australia, argue Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and A Just Australia. Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and A Just Australia Report, 17 April 2003
2002
- Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee (PDF 77KB)
- Inquiry on progress towards national reconciliation, including the adequacy and effectiveness of the Commonwealth's response. November 2002
- Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (PDF 144KB)
- Inquiry into Australia's relations with Indonesia. November 2002
- Submission to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (PDF 119KB)
- Inquiry into Capacity Building in Indigenous Communities. September 2002
- Submission to Advancing the National Interest (PDF 58KB)
- To The Australian Government's White Paper Advancing the National Interest. August 2002
- Bounty versus Boundaries – The pursuit of Equity and Certainty in the Timor Sea (PDF 78KB)
- Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties Inquiry Into The Timor Sea Treaty And Related Exchanges Of Notes Between The Government Of Australia And The Government Of The Democratic Republic Of East Timor. August 2002
- Still Drifting: Australia's Pacific Solution becomes "A Pacific Nightmare" (PDF 364KB)
- In February 2002, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad published Adrift in the Pacific –The Implications of Australia's Pacific Refugee Solution. Still Drifting is an update on developments affecting asylum seekers being processed in New Zealand, Nauru and Papua New Guinea. August 2002
- Current Issues in Australia's relationship with Papua New Guinea and the Pacfic Nations (PDF 125KB)
- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee inquiry into Australia's relationship with Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island Countries. July 2002
- An Urgent Call to Address the Human Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (PDF 39KB)
- The conflict in Palestine and Israel spirals to alarming levels of violence and destruction. A cruel toll is being paid by ordinary Palestinian and Israeli civilians. We are extremely concerned that the full extent of the humanitarian situation is being overlooked, and that the international community is failing in its duty to promote the provisions of the Geneva Conventions which assure the protection of civilians in the conflict. April 2002
- The Pacific Solution is no solution (PDF 98KB)
- Andrew Hewett examines the impact of the so-called "Pacific Solution" on the rights of asylum seekers, on Australia's aid priorities, and on development, human rights and the treatment of Pacific Islander displaced people within the Pacific region. Based on Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's submission to the Senate Select Committee on a Certain Maritime Incident (also known as the "Children Overboard" incident). March 2002
2001
- Sri Lanka and the Asian Development Bank (PDF 573KB)
- This paper does not attempt to address all ADB interventions in Sri Lanka, but looks at a small selection of key large-scale projects and their impact on poor communities, particularly women. 2001
- The Definition of Charities and Related Organisations (PDF 63KB)
- A submission to the Government Inquiry into the definition of Charities and Related Organisations. January 2001
- The link between aid and human rights (PDF 91KB)
- Submission to the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. January 2001
2000
- Corporate Code of Conduct Bill 2000 (PDF 89KB)
- Submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Securities and Corporations. December 2000.
- Australian Government Treaty Review (PDF 38KB)
- Position Statement. September 2000
- World Trade Organisation (PDF 76KB)
- Rich countries must take on criticisms of the WTO, whether they come from poor countries or from within their own ranks. The failure to do is not only unjust but a recipe for instability and conflict. September 2000
- The Timor Gap Treaty – Where to now? (PDF 96KB). 2000
- National Strategies to Advance Reconciliation (PDF 55KB)
- Submission to the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Draft National Strategies to Advance Reconciliation. March 2000
- Native Title Amendment Act 1998 / Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) (PDF 54KB)
- Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund Inquiry into the Consistency of the Native Title Amendment Act 1998 with Australia's international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). February 2000
1999
- East Timor beyond the ballot: An Agenda for Action. (PDF 44KB)
- Supplementary Submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee. Inquiry into East Timor. August 1999
- Debt relief and poverty eradication: strengthening the linkages (PDF 51KB)
- A paper to a seminar sponsored by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. August 1999
- Australia and the Asian Development Bank in the Mekong region (PDF 287KB) 1999
- Bougainville: The Peace Process and Beyond (PDF 54KB)
- Submission to Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee Inquiry, July 1998/April 1999
- Inquiry into East Timor (PDF 59KB)
- Submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, March 1999.
- Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (PDF 76KB)
- Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Inquiry into the Reeves Report, March 1999
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Bill 1998 (PDF 57KB)
- Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee Inquiry, February 1999
1998
- Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) May 1998 (PDF 65KB)
- Submission To The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, 1998
- An Agenda for Human Rights (PDF 70KB). 1998
1997
- Inquiry into the Regional Dialogue on Human Rights (PDF 104KB)
- Submission to the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, October 1997
- Native Title (PDF 53KB)
- Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Native Title, 1997