While affirming that decisions on war are “fundamentally a prerogative of the Executive”,the committee recommended the Cabinet Handbook should be amended to require the government to recall parliament as early as possible when Australia joins a major international armed conflict.

The government should also facilitate a debate in both houses of parliament before troops are deployed or within 30 days of deployment.

The governor-general could defer these requirements if there were high risks to national security or an imminent threat to Australian lives.

Hill said the government should seize “an historic chance to exercise leadership” by establishing a new joint statutory committee on Defence modelled on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Richard Marles noted there was “significant public and parliamentary interest in this matter” and said:“The government will carefully consider the Committee’s report and respond in due course.”

Marles told the committee the current arrangements should “not be disturbed” because they “enable the duly elected government of the day to act expeditiously on matters of utmost importance in the interests of the safety and security of our nation and its people”.

In a dissenting report,the Greens said the committee’s recommendations were the “bare minimum” and that parliament should have to be consulted before Australia goes to war.

“Australia is relatively unique among democratic countries in its lack of parliamentary authorisation or oversight on military deployments overseas,” the Greens said.

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