House Standing Committee on Procedure

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

History of the Procedure Committee on its 20th anniversary

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Appendix A– Establishment and membership

Table 1—Establishment summary

*Parl*	*Established*	*Members appointed*	*Chair ¹ elected*	*Composition*
34	27 February 1985 by resolution of the House	28 February 1985 nominated by whips	20 March 1985 L. J. Keogh	8 (5G/3O)
35	24 September 1987 pursuant to sessional order 28C	8 October 1987 nominated by whips	8 October 1987 J. G. Mountford	8 (5G/3O)
36	8 May 1990 pursuant to sessional order 28C ²	16 May 1990 by resolution	16 May 1990 G. G. D. Scholes	8 (5G/3NG)
37	4 May 1993 pursuant to standing order 28C	12 May 1993 nominated by whips	13 May 1993 N. Blewett 30 May 1994 R. J. Brown	8 (5G/3NG)
38	30 April 1996 pursuant to standing order 28C	29 May 1996 nominated by whips	20 June 1996 K. J. Sullivan 28 October 1997 P. E. Nugent	8 (5G/3NG)
39	10 November 1998 pursuant to standing order 28C³	8 December 1998 by resolution	10 December 1998 C. M. Pyne 29 November 2000 G. Nairn	8 (5G/3NG) 7 (4G/3NG) 3
40	12 February 2002 pursuant to standing order 330	20 March 2002 by resolution	21 March 2002 M. A. May	7 (4G/3NG)
41	16 November 2004 pursuant to standing order 221⁴	1&2 December 2004 by resolutions	2 December 2004 M. A. May	7 (4G/3NG)

1 On 9 November 1994 the House adopted amendments to the standing orders applying gender-inclusive pronouns: ‘chairman’ became ‘chair’.

2 On 15 October 1992 adopted by the House as a standing order.

3 On 3 December 1998 standing order 28C was replaced by standing order 330: the number of members was reduced from 8 to 7 and new standing order 333 required members to be appointed by resolution of the House. No members had been appointed to the committee before the changes to the standing orders.

4 On 24 June 2004, the House adopted revised standing orders effective from the start of the next Parliament.

First committee: 34th Parliament: 21 February 1985–5 June 1987

Appointed 27 February 1985 pursuant to resolution of the House

Keogh, Mr L. J.	Chairman	ALP	Qld	28 Feb 1985—
Cameron, Mr D. M.	Deputy Chairman	Lib	Qld	28 Feb 1985—
Hodgman, Hon. W. M.		Lib	Tas	28 Feb 1985—
Hollis, Mr C.		ALP	NSW	28 Feb 1985—
Lindsay, Mr E. J.		ALP	Qld	28 Feb 1985—
McLeay, Mr L. B.		ALP	NSW	28 Feb 1985—
Millar, Mr P. C.		Nat	Qld	28 Feb 1985—
Mountford, Mr J. G.		ALP	NSW	28 Feb 1985—

Secretary	Mark McRae

Resolution of appointment

(1) That a standing committee be appointed to inquire into and report upon the practices and procedures of the House generally with a view to making recommendations for their improvement or change and for the development of new procedures.

(2) That the committee consist of 8 members, 5 members to be nominated by either the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House or the Government Whip, 2 members to be nominated by either the Leader of the Opposition, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or the Opposition Whip and 1 member to be nominated by either the Leader of the National Party, the Deputy Leader of the National Party or the National Party Whip.

(3) That every nomination of a member of the committee be forthwith notified in writing to the Speaker.

(4) That the members of the committee hold office as a committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time.

(5) That the committee elect a Government member as its chairman.

(6) That the committee elect a deputy chairman who shall perform the duties of the chairman of the committee at any time when the chairman is not present at a meeting of the committee, and at any time when the chairman and deputy chairman are not present at a meeting of the committee, the members present shall elect another member to perform the duties of the chairman at that meeting.

(7) That the committee have power to appoint sub-committees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to such a sub-committee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine.

(8) That the quorum of a sub-committee be a majority of the members of that sub-committee.

(9) That the committee appoint the chairman of each sub-committee who shall have a casting vote only, and at any time when the chairman of a sub-committee is not present at a meeting of the sub-committee, the members of the sub-committee present shall elect another member of that sub-committee to perform the duties of the chairman at that meeting.

(10) That members of the committee who are not members of a sub-committee may participate in the proceedings of that sub-committee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(11) That the committee or any sub-committee have power to send for persons, papers and records.

(12) That the committee or any sub-committee have power to move from place to place.

(13) That a sub-committee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any sittings or adjournment of the House.

(14) That a sub-committee have power to authorise publication of any evidence given before it and any document presented to it.

(15) That the committee have leave to report from time to time.

(16) That the foregoing provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

VP 1985-86-87/56

Reports

	*Title*	*Presented*	PP
1	Alternative opportunities for private Members to concisely address the House	23 May 1985	207/85
2	Days and hours of sitting and the effective use of the time of the House	29 May 1986	108/86
3	The standing orders and practices which govern the conduct of question time	27 November 1986	354/86

Second committee: 35th Parliament: 14 September 1987–19 February 1990

Appointed 24 September 1987 pursuant to sessional order 28C

Mountford, Mr J. G.	Chairman	ALP	NSW	8 Oct 1987—
Cameron, Mr D. M.	Deputy Chairman	Lib	Qld	8 Oct 1987—
Cameron, Mr E. C.		Lib	Vic	8 Oct 1987—
Edwards, Mr R. F.		ALP	WA	8 Oct 1987—
Lamb, Mr A. H.		ALP	NSW	8 Oct 1987—
Lindsay, Mr E. J.		ALP	Qld	8 Oct 1987—
Millar, Mr P. C.		Nat	Qld	8 Oct 1987—
Scholes, Hon. G. G. D.		ALP	Vic	8 Oct 1987—

Secretary	Mark McRae Julia Flynn

Sessional order 28C

Standing Committee on Procedure

28C. (a) A Standing Committee on Procedure shall be appointed at the commencement of each Parliament to inquire into and report on the practices and procedures of the House generally with a view to making recommendations for their improvement or change and for the development of new procedures.

(b) The committee shall consist of 8 members, 5 members to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips and 3 members to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips.

(d) The committee shall elect a deputy chairman who shall act as chairman of the committee at any time when the chairman is not present at a meeting of the committee and at any time when the chairman and deputy chairman are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chairman at that meeting.

(e) The committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any sub-committee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine.

(f) The committee shall appoint the chairman of each sub-committee who shall have a casting vote only, and at any time when the chairman of a sub-committee is not present at a meeting of the sub-committee the members of the sub-committee present shall elect another member of that sub-committee to act as chairman at that meeting.

(g) The quorum of a sub-committee shall be a majority of the members of that sub-committee.

(h) Members of the committee who are not members of a sub-committee may participate in the public proceedings of that sub-committee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(i) The committee or any sub-committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records.

(j) The committee or any sub-committee shall have power to move from place to place.

(k) A sub-committee shall have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any sittings or adjournment of the House.

(l) A sub-committee shall have power to authorise publication of any evidence given before it and any document presented to it.

(m) The committee shall have leave to report from time to time.

(n) The committee or any sub-committee shall have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Standing Committee on Procedure appointed during previous Parliaments.

VP 1987-88-89-90/84

Reports

	*Title*	*Presented*	PP
4	Improved opportunities for private Members: Proposed sessional orders	5 November 1987	219/87
5	The ringing of the bells and the Chamber precincts in the new Parliament House and certification of petitions not in the English language	14 April 1988	149/88
6	The publication of tabled papers	24 November 1988	262/88
7	Committee procedures for dealing with witnesses	13 April 1989	100/89
8	The election of Speaker	11 May 1989	146/89
9	The standing orders governing the conduct of committees of the House [1st report on review of standing orders]	30 November 1989	458/89

Third committee: 36th Parliament: 8 May 1990–8 February 1993

Appointed 8 May 1990 pursuant to sessional order 28C

Scholes, Hon. G. G. D.	Chairman	ALP	Vic	16 May 1990—
Shack, Mr P. D.	Deputy Chairman	Lib	WA	16 May 1990- 26 May 1992
Sullivan, Mrs K. J.	Deputy Chairman	Lib	Qld	3 Jun 1992— (Deputy Chairman from 13 Oct 1992)
Charles, Mr R. E.		Lib	Vic	14 Sep 1992—
Edwards, Mr R. F.		ALP	WA	16 May 1990—
Grace, Mr E. L.		ALP	NSW	16 May 1990—
Hollis, Mr C.		ALP	NSW	16 May 1990—
Rocher, Mr A. C.		Lib	WA	16 May 1990— 14 Sep 1992
Truss, Mr W. E.		Nat	Qld	16 May 1990—
Walker, Hon. F. J.		ALP	NSW	16 May 1990—

Secretary	Robyn Webber Max Kiermaier

Sessional order 28C*

Standing Committee on Procedure

(b) The committee shall consist of 8 members, 5 members to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips and 3 members to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any independent Member.

(e) The committee shall have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine.

(f) The committee shall appoint the chairman of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only, and at any time when the chairman of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chairman at that meeting.

(g) The quorum of a subcommittee shall be a majority of the members of that subcommittee.

(h) Members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the public proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(i) The committee or any subcommittee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records.

(j) The committee or any subcommittee shall have power to move from place to place.

(k) A subcommittee shall have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any sittings or adjournment of the House.

(l) A subcommittee shall have power to authorise publication of any evidence given before it and any document presented to it.

(m) The committee shall have leave to report from time to time.

(n) The committee or any subcommittee shall have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Standing Committee on Procedure appointed during previous Parliaments.

VP 1990–91–92–93/12

* Adopted as standing order on 15 October 1992

Reports

	*Title*	*Presented*	PP
10	Greater opportunities for debate on reports from parliamentary committees	11 October 1990	176/90
11	Responses to petitions	6 December 1990	267/90
12	Private Members’ Business: Speech time limits for individual Members and priority to notices for private Members’ bills	6 March 1991	51/91
13	The standing orders governing: General rule for conduct of business and procedures for the opening of Parliament [2nd report on review of standing orders]	6 June 1991	167/91
14	A citizen’s right of reply	6 June 1991	168/91
15	Disclosure of in camera evidence	14 November 1991	295/91
16	The standing orders governing the Speaker, Chairman, Deputy Chairmen and Officers [3rd report on review of standing orders]	30 April 1992	101/92
17	Seconding of private Members’ notices of motion [4th report of review of standing orders]	30 April 1992	102/92
18	The standing orders governing questions seeking information [5th report of review of standing orders]	25 June 1992	179/92
19	The standing orders governing disorder and strangers [6th report of review of standing orders]	15 October 1992	243/92

Fourth committee: 37th Parliament: 4 May 1993–29 January 1996

Appointed 4 May 1993 pursuant to standing order 28C

Blewett, Hon. Dr N.	Chairman	ALP	SA	12 May 1993- 11 Feb 1994
Brown, Hon. R. J.	Chairman	ALP	NSW	9 May 1994— (Chair from 30 May 1994)
Sullivan, Mrs K. J.	Deputy Chairman	Lib	Qld	12 May 1993—
Elliott, Hon. R. P.		ALP	NSW	12 May 1993- 9 Feb 1994
Filing, Mr P. A.		Lib	WA	12 May 1993- 21 Jun 1995
McLeay, Hon. L. B.		ALP	NSW	12 May 1993—
Melham, Mr D.		ALP	NSW	12 May 1993—
Nehl, Mr G. B.		Nat	NSW	12 May 1993—
Price, Hon. L. R. S.		ALP	NSW	12 May 1993—
Scott, Mr L. J.		ALP	Qld	9 Feb 1994—
Thomson, Mr A. P.		Lib	NSW	21 Jun 1995—

Secretary	Robyn Webber

Standing order 28C