Committee establishment, role and history
The standing committee is one of twelve general purpose investigatory committees
established by the House of Representatives for the 42nd Parliament of Australia.
Information on the establishment, role and powers of House of Representatives
committees can be found at the Committee
Office home page and in chapters 16 and 17 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.
In summary, the role of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation is to carry out inquiries into matters referred to it by the House of Representatives or a Minister of the Commonwealth Government. Material that can be referred includes any pre-legislation proposal, bill, motion, petition, vote or expenditure, other financial matter, report or paper.
Annual reports of Commonwealth government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor General tabled in the House stand referred to the relevant committee for any inquiry the committee wishes to make. Reports stand referred in accordance with the schedule tabled by the Speaker to record the areas of responsibility of each committee.
Prior to the dissolution of the House for the 2007 general election the predecessors to this committee was known as the Standing Committee on Science and Innovation and the Standing Committee on Industry and Resources. Following the election the name of the committees were changed to reflect a change in portfolio coverage. A different committee now covers resources matters - Standing Committee on Primary Industry and Resources.
The committee has had the following name changes in recent parliaments:
- 2001-2007 Standing Committee on Science and Innovation, and also
2001-2007 Standing Committee on Industry and Resources
- 1998-2001 Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources
- 1987-1998 Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology
A full list of reports tabled by the Committee and its predecessors is available online together with reports of inquiries completed since 1997.
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