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Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Committee of Privileges 1971-2008

As at 20 February 2008, there have been ten chairs of the Committee of Privileges, namely Senators Drake-Brockman, Button, Jessop, Childs, Giles, Reynolds, Teague, Ray, Faulkner and Brandis (current). Until 10 October 1994, the chair was required, by Standing Orders, to be a member nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Changes to Standing Orders which took effect on that date require that certain committees, including the Privileges Committee, be chaired by a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. The longest-serving chair has been Senator Robert Ray, who held the office for eight years and six months.

Chairs’ terms of service

Note: The chairmanship record, while complete, shows lengthy gaps between chairs at times. While the committee was generally re-established promptly in each new Parliament, it did not meet and elect a chair until it received a reference. Where the same person was re-elected chair in successive Parliaments, the period of service is shown as continuous.

Name

State

Party

Term of Service
Drake-Brockman, Thomas Charles
WA
CP
 04/05/71-26/02/73
Button, John Norman 
VIC
ALP
 22/07/75-11/11/75
Drake-Brockman, Thomas Charles
WA
CP
 10/04/78-30/06/78
Jessop, Donald Scott 
SA
Lib
 28/09/78-04/02/83
Childs, Bruce Kenneth 
NSW
ALP
 15/06/84-05/06/87
Giles, Patricia Jessie
WA
ALP
 18/03/88-30/06/93
Reynolds, Margaret
QLD
ALP
 01/07/93-09/10/94
Teague, Baden Chapman
SA
Lib
 13/10/94-29/04/96
Ray, Robert Francis
VIC
ALP
 09/05/96-15/11/04
Faulkner, John Philip
NSW
ALP
 18/11/04-11/02/08
Brandis, George
QLD
Lib
 19/02/08-

Deputy chairs’ terms of service

Deputy chairs of the committee have been elected only recently. Their terms of service are as follows:

Name

State

Party

Term of Service
Lewis, Austin William Russell
VIC
Lib
 09/05/91-19/08/92
Teague, Baden Chapman
SA
Lib
 20/08/92-09/10/94
Reynolds, Margaret
QLD
ALP
 13/10/94-29/04/96
Knowles, Susan Christine
WA
Lib
 12/09/96-22/08/03
Teague, Baden Chapman
SA
Lib
 09/05/96-30/06/96
Payne, Marise Ann
NSW
Lib
 18/09/03-12/02/04
Knowles, Susan Christine
WA
Lib
 12/02/04-30/06/05
Ronaldson, Michael John Clyde
VIC
Lib
 09/08/05-11/02/08
Hurley, Annette
SA
ALP
 19/02/08-26/6/08
Collins, Jacinta
VIC
ALP
 26/6/08-

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