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In 1901, the Senate adopted the standing orders of the South
Australian House of Assembly on a temporary basis while it set
about the task of developing its own rules. These were the standing
orders that had been used at the Australasian Federal Conventions
of 1897–98 and were familiar to the greatest number of
senators, many of whom had been delegates to the conventions.
In 1903, the proposed standing orders were extensively debated
and amended before being adopted on 19 August, with effect from 1
September. Over the years, new standing orders were added and
existing ones were amended as the Senate adapted its procedures to
deal with its expanding interests more effectively. In 1989, a
major revision was undertaken to update and rationalise the
standing orders, which have continued to evolve to meet emerging
requirements.
These commentaries on the standing orders have been adapted from
the book, Annotated Standing Orders of the Australian
Senate, edited by Rosemary Laing. Each commentary provides the
text of the standing order, its amendment history, and information
about its origin, evolution, rationale and application. Cross
references are included to significant commentary in
Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice, edited by Harry
Evans.
To purchase a copy of the Annotated Standing Orders of the
Australian Senate, click here
for the order form.
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