CDI Convenes 3rd Indonesia-Australia Parliamentary Committees Forum
As part of CDI’s ongoing engagement with Indonesia’s House of Representatives, the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Republik Indonesia (DPR-RI), CDI brought together Indonesian and Australian parliamentarians actively involved in committee work in Jakarta on 2nd and 3rd July 2008. The two day Forum involved Members of the DPR’s Commission One (Commission on Foreign Affairs, Defense, Communication and Information) and the Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT).
The Forum was opened by the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Republik Indonesia, H.E. Mr Muhaimin Iskandar. The Indonesian participants were led by the Chairman of Commission I, Mr Theo L. Sambuaga and included Mr Abdillah Toha, Chairman of the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Relations, and Mr Sidarto Danusubroto, Vice-Chairman of Commission I. The Australian parliamentarians attending the Forum were:
- Senator Michael Forshaw (Australian Labor Party, NSW) - Chair, JSCFADT;
- The Hon David Hawker MP (Liberal Party, Member for Wannon) - Deputy Chair, JSCFADT;
- Mr Michael Danby MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Melbourne Ports) - Chair, Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee, JSCFADT;
- The Hon Arch Bevis MP (Australian Labor Party, Member for Brisbane) - Chair, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, and Chair, Defence Sub-Committee, JSCFADT;
- The Hon. Philip Ruddock MP (Liberal Party, Member for Berowra) - Member, JSCFADT;
- The Hon Andrew Robb MP (Liberal Party, Member for Goldstein) - Member, JSCFADT;
- Dr John Carter - Secretary, Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee, JSCFADT.
The aim of the Forum was to facilitate discussions between Indonesian and Australian parliamentarians with an interest in the bilateral relationship on matters of common interest, whilst giving members the opportunity to learn about parliamentary practice in both parliaments.
The theme of the Forum was ‘Parliament and its role in promoting regional cooperation’. The first day of the program was devoted to presentations and discussions on the political scene in Indonesia in the lead-up to next year’s parliamentary and presidential elections. These discussions underlined just how far Indonesia has come in consolidating its democracy over the past decade. For the Australian participants, a number of whom were on their first visit to Indonesia, this proved to be a valuable exercise in building understanding.
The second day focused on the role played by the respective committees in the policy making process. The keynote address was delivered Dr Rizal Sukma, Deputy Executive Director, Centre for Strategic & International Studies. Following sessions centered on the practical work of committees – how commissions in the DPR operate, their role, the issues they face; and similar issues in regards to the Australian committees. This included discussion on the way committee inquiries, such as those undertaken by Australian committees, feed into the policy making process and contribute to public awareness and debate on national issues. Such an examination proved useful for the Indonesian parliamentarians as a potential new avenue for input into the policy making process.
For the Australian parliamentarians, the forum provided an opportunity for an open and frank exchange on major issues facing the Australia-Indonesia relationship, including the Lombok treaty, migration, security cooperation, and Asia-Pacific regionalism. As many meetings between the two parliaments take place in more formal settings, this was a particularly valuable opportunity for both sides. The final session focused on the ways that the Indonesian and Australian parliaments and their respective committees can build on the work of CDI in convening the current and previous Forums to create an ongoing relationship, including plans for more structured relationships in the future.
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