3. THE CHAMBER
Seating
The Chamber has a horse-shoe shaped seating arrangement, with Members from the governing party or parties sitting on the right of the Chair and the Members from the opposition parties on the left. The front bench seats on the right hand of the Speaker are reserved for Ministers (S.O. 32). Similarly, the front bench seats on the left hand of the Speaker are reserved for the Opposition Executive (shadow ministers). The two chairs on the right of the Table are, by practice, reserved for the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister but are also occupied by other Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries when they are in charge of the business before the House. Similarly, the two chairs on the left of the Table are reserved for the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition but may be occupied by Members leading for the Opposition in the business before the House.
Other Members have allotted seats. A Members request for the allocation of a seat should be made to the Serjeant-at-Arms but any question arising regarding the seats to be occupied by Members is determined by the Speaker (S.O. 33). A Member is entitled to retain the seat occupied at the end of the previous Parliament (S.O. 34).
The Mace
The Mace is present in the Chamber at all times the House is sitting, including during suspensions of sittings, and is placed on the Table whenever the Speaker is in the Chair. Prior to the election of a Speaker the Mace is placed on brackets below the Table (S.O. 12(n)).
Bar of the House
The Bar of the House, between the back row of Members seats at the main entrance to the Chamber, demarks the area of the Chamber reserved to Members, which non-Members may not enter unless invited by the House. It consists of a cylindrical bronze rail. A witness before the House is examined at the Bar unless the House orders otherwise (S.O. 363). The standing orders provide that messages from the Senate are received at the Bar by a Clerk-at-the-Table while the House is sitting (S.O. 372); in practice, however, they are received by the Serjeant-at-Arms.
Galleries
There are open galleries on all four sides of the Chamber at first floor level and enclosed soundproof galleries on three sides at second floor level. All galleries come under the authority of the Speaker and are administered and controlled by the Serjeant-at-Arms.
Distinguished visitors
The Speaker may admit distinguished strangers (see below) to a seat on the floor of the House (S.O. 312).
Speakers gallery
The Speakers gallery, the left hand side of the central gallery viewed from the Speakers Chair, is reserved for guests of the Speaker and Members guests. The front row of seats in the Speakers gallery is reserved for diplomats and special visitors. Applications for admission cards should be made to the Speakers Office. At floor level, at the right and the left of the rear of the Chamber, there are also seats to which access is by invitation of the Speaker only.
Senators gallery
Six seats in the front row of seats on the right hand side of the central gallery are reserved for Senators. Senators may use these seats at any time while the House is sitting (S.O. 312).
Public galleries
The remaining seats in the central gallery and the two side galleries are open to the public, and are generally open at all times the House is sitting. Members of the public are able to obtain admission cards to the public galleries from the booking office in the Members Hall or by booking through the Serjeant-at-Arms Office. Members may book seats in the central gallery for their guests.
Press gallery
The rear gallery (behind the Speakers Chair) is reserved for the press. Press passes are issued by the Serjeant-at-Arms. Passes are subject to withdrawal at any time at the discretion of the Speaker.
Enclosed galleries
The enclosed soundproof galleries at second floor level enable the operations of the Chamber to be described to visitors without disturbing the proceedings. They are mainly used by school groups.
Strangers
Persons in the Chamber who are neither Members nor officials are traditionally referred to as strangers. If a Member takes formal notice of the presence of strangers, the Chair must immediately put the question That strangers be ordered to withdraw, which must be decided without amendment or debate (S.O. 314). The Speaker or Chair may order strangers to withdraw from any part of the Chamber or the room where the Main Committee is meeting (S.O. 314). Members may not bring strangers into the areas of the Chamber or of the Main Committee which are reserved to Members (S.O. 315). The Speaker may admit distinguished strangers to a seat on the floor of the House (S.O. 312).
Broadcasting of proceedings
Radio
The proceedings of Parliament are broadcast live by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on each day on which either House is sitting. As a general rule, the House of Representatives is broadcast on Monday, Thursday and Friday (if sitting) and the Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday. A recording of the question time of the House which is not being broadcast live is also broadcast later in the day. The Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings exercises control over the parliamentary broadcast in accordance with the principles ratified by each House.
Television
A composite vision and sound feed of Chamber proceedings is produced by the Parliaments Sound and Vision Office for the internal House monitoring system, and is made available to the television networks for outside broadcast. The televising of proceedings, including live broadcasting and rebroadcasting of proceedings and excerpts of proceedings, has been authorised (by resolution of the House) since 1991.
Generally only question time and special events, such as the Treasurers Budget speech and the Leader of the Oppositions reply, are broadcast live (by the ABC). Other television coverage is usually limited to excerpts in news and current affairs programs.
Internet
Trials have taken place of sound and video broadcasts of proceedings over the Internet, and this method of access is planned to start in late 1999.
The Main Committee
The Main Committee is an extension of the House, operating in parallel with it to allow two streams of business to be debated concurrently. All Members of the House are members of the Main Committee and eligible to participate in its meetings, although only a minority of Members are present at any one time.
The Main Committee meets in one of the largest House of Representatives committee rooms which has been dedicated to its Main Committee role and is fitted out in a small-scale chamber setting. Like the Chamber of the House the Main Committee has a horse-shoe shaped seating arrangement, with government and opposition Members sitting on the right and left of the Chair respectively. There are seats for 38 Members, and room for additional seating if required. Members do not have allocated seats. There are galleries (at floor level) for advisers, the media and the public. Proceedings are televised on the House monitoring system.
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