Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings

General principles relating to the radio broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings

1. Days upon which proceedings shall be broadcast and their allocation between the Senate and the House of Representatives

The proceedings of Parliament shall be broadcast on each day on which either House is sitting. While there will be a usual allocation of broadcasts between the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings or its Sub-Committee shall take into account the importance of the impending debate and the public interest attaching thereto in deciding on the allocation. It is anticipated that, over time, the coverage of each House will be approximately equal.

2. Rebroadcast of questions and answers

   1. The following Parliamentary Proceedings shall be rebroadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at the conclusion of the broadcast of live proceedings from either House unless otherwise ordered by the Committee

Senate proceedings—Questions without notice and answers thereto;

House of Representatives proceedings—Questions without notice and answers thereto;

2. The rebroadcast shall be of the House that is not allocated the broadcast;

3. When a member makes a personal explanation in rebuttal of misrepresentation contained in a question asked that day or an answer thereto, the question and answer shall, subject to the next succeeding sub–paragraph, be excluded from the rebroadcast; and

4. The Presiding Officer may, in his or her discretion, refer any case to the Joint Committee for decision as to whether such a question and answer shall be excluded from the rebroadcast.

3. The general principles specified here and adopted by both Houses shall be observed generally by the Joint Committee in making determinations in accordance with the Parliamentary Proceedings Broadcasting Act 1946, but nothing in those general principles shall be taken to prevent the Joint Committee from departing from those general principles in order to meet any unusual or special circumstances.