Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Procedure, I present the committee's report entitled Role of the Federation Chamber: Celebrating 20 years of operation, together with the minutes of proceedings. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to table what I understand is the first committee report to be presented here in the Federation Chamber today and I acknowledge the presence of my deputy chair, the member for Melbourne Ports. Fittingly, it is a report celebrating the 20th anniversary of the operations of this very place. The Federation Chamber was established in 1994, on suggestion of the Procedure Committee, as a venue to debate noncontroversial legislation in order to relieve legislative pressure on the House.

Over the last two decades, the Federation Chamber has met its original purpose of providing a parallel legislative stream and has evolved in its role in ways that enhance the operations of the House. It also gives members valuable opportunities to speak on matters of importance for their electorates. Significantly, it allows ministers, including parliamentary secretaries, an opportunity to speak on constituency issues that they are not otherwise afforded in the House.

The report finds that the establishment of the Federation Chamber has been an unqualified success for House of Representatives. It provides the House with an average of 165 additional debating hours each year, without having to extend the hours of the main chamber. Indeed, it has been such a success that Westminster, the venerable institution we look to for much of our procedure, has adopted the innovation. However, the report notes the decline in business before the Federation Chamber during the life of this 44th Parliament. It calls on committees to make better use of the opportunity to have the reports debated here in the Federation Chamber in a timely manner.

When the leader of the House proposed the changes to the standing orders at the start of the 44th Parliament, he stated that the changes were designed to give the Federation Chamber more status, ensuring that sufficient business is referred regularly and is an important part of enhancing this chamber. Recognising the inherent flexibility in the order of business for the Federation Chamber, the report also calls for an extension of time to be allowed for grievance debates and constituency statements so that, when there is no government business to debate, this time can be used for this important opportunity for members to debate issues of importance to their electorates

The Federation Chamber embodies some of the best work that the House does, being largely consensus work. Unfortunately, its work and its role is not well-known beyond this place, and the report recommends that the Federation Chamber be better promoted on the parliament's website and to visitors to Parliament House. The committee also recommended that further changes be made to this venue to enhance its image and distinguish it from the committee rooms.

I note the lead that the Deputy Speaker, the member for Maranoa, has already taken in this regard, and the committee strongly supports him in his efforts to enhance this important chamber.

Finally, the report acknowledges the workload management of the Federation Chamber and adds to those whips responsible for managing its operations, and recommends that additional resources be given to these officers to support this work. In its 21years, the Federation Chamber has evolved to meet the needs of the House and its members. The committee is confident that it will continue to evolve and be an important part of the House in the future. I wish to thank the Committee Secretary Catherine Cornish, Justin Baker and all committee staff that are present here today. I commend the report to the Federation Chamber and the House.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 12:32 to 12:47

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