Chapter 3 - Publication
of Senate proceedings
Broadcasting
of proceedings
Proceedings of the
Senate and its committees are widely
broadcast through electronic media.
Proceedings of the
Senate, and proceedings of its committees when they are televised, are
available live in sound and visual images on the Internet, in accordance with
an authorising resolution (31/8/1999, J.1606).
Live radio and television broadcasts of proceedings occur through the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio broadcasts, the televising of
question time, and the internal and subscription television service provided by
the house monitoring system.
The proceedings of the two Houses of the Parliament have been broadcast
on radio since 1946 by the ABC, as required by the Parliamentary
Proceedings Broadcasting Act 1946. Question time in the Senate has been
televised by the ABC since August 1990. These were originally all live
telecasts, but since the House of Representatives approved the television
coverage of question time in that House, some are re-broadcast. All proceedings
in the Senate and in some of its committees are broadcast on radio and
television within Parliament House and to external subscribers by the house
monitoring system.
Apart from these
live broadcasts, radio and television stations are also permitted to use
recorded excerpts of Senate proceedings. Resolutions of the Senate first passed
on 13 December 1988 and 31 May 1990 (the latter amended on 18 October 1990
and 9 May 1991) set out rules for the use of excerpts, the principal rule
being that excerpts are to be used only for the purposes of fair and accurate
reports of proceedings.
A resolution of 23 August 1990 authorised Senate committees to permit
the broadcasting of their public proceedings, subject to similar rules, and a
resolution of 13 February 1991 permitted persons other than television
stations to make use of video recordings of Senate proceedings. An order first
passed on 14 October 1991 permitted the broadcasting of estimates committee
hearings. These provisions
were consolidated into a set of broadcasting orders passed on 13 February 1997.
Proceedings of Senate committees conducting public hearings in Canberra are broadcast by
radio and television on the house monitoring system, and excerpts are used by
the media, in accordance with the order relating to committees. All estimates
hearings and most other hearings of Senate committees are televised within
Parliament House, and excerpts may be used by broadcasters and other individuals.
Resources determine how many committee hearings are broadcast on the house
monitoring system and recorded for later use. Committees may also permit other
broadcasters to cover their proceedings when they meet outside Canberra. Any coverage must
conform with any conditions set by the committees, which must not be
inconsistent with the rules adopted by the Senate.
The televising of Senate proceedings was initiated by a motion moved by
an Opposition senator. On 30 May 1990, Senator Vanstone gave notice that she would move to permit the
televising of question time for a trial period. The Senate resolved the
following day to proceed with the trial, but referred to the Procedure
Committee the conditions relating to it (31/5/1990, J.193). The Procedure
Committee recommended that no changes should be made, but that the conditions
should be tried and reviewed in the light of experience (First Report of
1990, August 1990, PP 436/1990, p. 1). Two modifications to the order
were subsequently made. On 18 October 1990 reference to a trial period was
omitted (18/10/1990, J.361), and on 9 May 1991 the condition
prohibiting the broadcasting of the adjournment debate was omitted (9/5/1991, J.1006).
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