Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In speaking to this Senate message on the powers and proceedings of the parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, I point out that the view of the opposition in the Senate was that perhaps there was an existing joint parliamentary committee whose powers might be extended to encompass the remit of this new committee. However, overwhelmingly the opposition there and in this place welcomes the extra scrutiny that will be provided by this new committee.

I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services—although, strictly speaking, it is not her responsibility, so I may need to ask you, Mr Deputy Speaker Barresi, to take this up with the Speaker—which chamber will be supporting this particular committee. It has been the practice of the Howard government when creating new parliamentary committees not to increase the staffing and appropriations that support parliamentary committees. As I have said, we believe that this parliamentary committee is an important one. We believe that the extra scrutiny that it will provide is very important and necessary, and we totally support it, but I seek clarification from the parliamentary secretary or, alternatively, if the parliamentary secretary cannot assist the House, from the Speaker which chamber will be supporting the committee and to reassure all honourable members that there will be net additional resources provided to support this committee in its work. As I said, in the House we have seen three committees established but no extra staffing and no extra budget provided to support the work of those three committees. That the committee system is working well at all is a testament to what I would call, with no disrespect, the stretched staff of parliamentary committees.

Additionally, I point out to the House that there has never, ever been a review conducted by a committee of this chamber looking at the staffing and appropriations of parliamentary committees. I know, Mr Deputy Speaker, that you have just concluded a long-term chairmanship of a parliamentary committee—

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