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Chapter 16 - Committees
Procedure
Committee
A descendant of the 1901 Standing Orders Committee, the Procedure
Committee is established under standing order 17 and has been in
operation under its present name since 1987.
The committee has four ex officio members, the President, Deputy
President, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Leader of the Opposition
in the Senate. It is chaired by the Deputy President, a provision adopted in
1994. Its remaining six members are appointed from the Senate without any
prescribed allocation of places to government or non-government senators. This
formula allows as wide a representation of senators as is considered
appropriate at any time. The Leaders of the Government and of the Opposition in
the Senate are authorised to appoint substitute members when they are unable to
attend meetings (SO 17(2)).
The committee’s terms of reference are “any matter relating to the
procedures of the Senate referred to it by the Senate or by the President” (SO 17(3)). The standing
orders do not confer formal inquiry powers upon the committee as they are not
considered necessary. Most of the matters considered by the Procedure
Committee are referred by the Senate. Although it does not formally gather
evidence, the committee sometimes invites submissions from senators. A 1993
reference to the committee on the hours of sitting and routine of business
included an instruction that the committee invite submissions from all parties
in the Senate and independent senators and consult with the Procedure
Committee of the House of Representatives, which was undertaking a similar
inquiry (18/8/1993, J.357). In most cases reports are developed following
discussions and consideration of issues papers. The committee cannot meet other
than in Parliament House without authorisation by the Senate (22/6/2006, J.2345).
Reports of the committee may be considered in committee of the whole to
facilitate free discussion of detailed matters, but may also be considered by
the Senate. Consideration of the reports may be listed under Government
Business orders of the day because, following the presentation of a report, a
minister moves the motion to provide for its consideration, or may be listed as
an order of the day under Business of the Senate, either by order contained in
the reference to the Procedure Committee (9/3/1989, J.1459) or following a
motion moved on presentation of the report (15/6/1989, J.1891; 21/12/1990,
J.686; 12/9/1991, J.1512; 24/3/1992, J.2097). The designation of Procedure
Committee reports as Business of the Senate orders of the day gives priority to
their consideration, as befits significant matters of relevance to the conduct
of the business of the Senate (see Standing Orders Committee, 1st Report,
62nd Session, PP 504/1985 pp 1-3).
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