Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That standing order nos. 215, 216 and 222 be amended, as follows:

215 General purpose standing committees

(a) The following general purpose standing committees shall be appointed:

(i) Standing Committee on Agriculture;

(ii )Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water;

(iii) Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts;

(iv) Standing Committee on Economics;

(v) Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training;

(vi) Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport;

(vii) Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources;

(viii) Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport; and

(ix) Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.

(b) A committee appointed under paragraph (a) may inquire into and report on any matter referred to it by either the House or a Minister, including any pre-legislation proposal, bill, motion, petition, vote or expenditure, other financial matter, report or document.

(c) A committee may make any inquiry it wishes to make into annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House. The following qualifications shall apply to these inquiries:

(i) Reports shall stand referred to committees under a schedule presented by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee.

(ii) The Speaker shall determine any question about responsibility for a report or part of a report.

(iii) The period during which an inquiry into an annual report may be started by a committee shall end on the day the next annual report of the department or authority is presented to the House.

(iv) If a committee intends to inquire into all or part of a report of the Auditor-General, the committee must notify the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit of its intention, in writing.

(d) Each committee appointed under paragraph (a) shall consist of nine members (five government Members, three opposition Members and one crossbench Member), except for the Standing Committee on Economics, the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training and the Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport, which shall consist of ten members (six government Members, three opposition Members and one crossbench Member). Each committee may have its membership supplemented by up to four members for a particular inquiry, with a maximum of two extra government and two extra opposition or crossbench Members. Supplementary members shall have the same participatory rights as other members, but may not vote.

216 Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests

(a) A Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests shall be appointed to:

(i) inquire into and report on complaints of breach of privilege or contempt which may be referred to it by the House under standing order 51 or by the Speaker under standing order 52, or any other related matter referred to it by or in accordance with a resolution of the House;

(ii) inquire into and report on the arrangements made for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of a Register of Members' Interests;

(iii) consider proposals by Members and others on the form and content of the Register of Members' Interests;

(iv) consider specific complaints about registering or declaring interests;

(v) consider possible changes to any code of conduct adopted by the House; and

(vi) consider whether specified persons (other than Members) ought to be required to register and declare their interests.

(b) The committee shall consist of 13 members: the Leader of the House or his or her nominee, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or his or her nominee and 11 other members (six government Members, four opposition Members and one crossbench Member). When the Opposition is composed of two parties, the non-government Members shall consist of at least one member of the smaller opposition party.

(c) The committee may call for witnesses and documents, but when considering a matter concerning the registration or declaration of Members' interests it must not exercise that power or undertake an investigation of a person's private interests unless the action is approved by at least seven members of the committee other than the Chair.

(d) The committee may report when it sees fit, and must report to the House on its operations in connection with the registration and declaration of Members' interests during the year as soon as possible after 31 December each year.

222 Selection Committee

(a) A Selection Committee shall be appointed to:

(i) arrange the timetable and order of committee and delegation business and private Members' business for each sitting Monday in accordance with standing orders 39 to 41;

(ii) select private Members' notices and other items of private Members' and committee and delegation business for referral to the Federation Chamber, or for return to the House; and

(iii) select bills that the committee regards as controversial or as requiring further consultation or debate for referral to the relevant standing or joint committee in accordance with standing order 143.

(b) The committee shall consist of 14 members: the Speaker, or in the absence of the Speaker the Deputy Speaker, the Chief Government Whip or his or her nominee, the Chief Opposition Whip or his or her nominee, six government Members, three opposition Members and two crossbench Members. The Speaker shall be the Chair of the committee. A quorum shall be three members of the committee.

(c) For committee and delegation business and private Members' business, the committee may determine the order of consideration of the matters, and the times allotted for debate on each item and for each Member speaking.

(d) In relation to committee and delegation business and private Members' business the committee must report its determinations to the House in time for its decisions to be published on the Notice Paper of the sitting Thursday before the Monday being considered. In relation to bills the committee must report its determinations as soon as practical in respect of each bill or each group of bills.

(e) Reports of the committee under paragraph (d) shall be treated as having been adopted when they are presented. Reports shall be published in Hansard.

(f) A referral by determination of the Selection Committee pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) or (a)(iii), once the determination has been reported to the House, is deemed to be a referral by the House.

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