Unlike many of her colleagues, Labor MP Alicia Payne provided a lengthy response to MWM‘s ongoing survey of parliamentary attitudes to war powers reform:
“I would like Parliament to explore options for reform regarding how Australia makes decisions to send service personnel into international armed conflicts. I recognise that in some instances the executive government may need to make such decisions as a matter of urgency, however, such urgent decisions should still be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. I support Labor’s platform, resolved at last year’s National Conference, for an Albanese Labor Government to ‘refer the issue of how Australia makes decisions to service personnel into international armed conflict to an inquiry to be conducted by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade. This inquiry would take submissions, hold public hearings, and produce its findings during the term of the 47th Parliament’.”
Staff writers who have worked on one or more of our special investigative projects include Zacharias Zsumer (War Powers), Stephanie Tran, Tasha May and Luke Stacey.
