Week beginning 29 March 2022

This page provides an overview of the key events of the last sitting week in the House of Representatives. It includes all bills presented and debated, and selected statements, debates and committee business. For the official record of proceedings, see the Votes and Proceedings. For a detailed procedural account of events, see the Procedural Digest and House Review.

Key events

• Resignation of Mr Champion (Member for Spence) (29 March)
• Condolence motion on the death of Senator Kimberley Jane Elizabeth Kitching (29 March)
• Condolence motion on the death of former Member the Honourable Moses Henry (Moss) Cass (29 March)
• Statements on the floods in Queensland and New South Wales (29 March)
• Statements on the situation in Ukraine (29 March)
• Valedictory remarks were made by Mr Porter (Member for Pearce) (29 March) and Mr Christensen (Member for Dawson), Mr Irons (Member for Swan), Mr K. J. Andrews (Member for Menzies) and Mr A. D. H. Smith (Member for Casey) (31 March)
• Presentation of the 2022-23 Budget (29 March)
• Statements on Shane Warne’s memorial service (31 March)
• Statements on the death of David Taylor Irvine AO (31 March)
• Address by the President of Ukraine (31 March)
• Budget reply (31 March)

Legislation

11 bills were presented and 19 bills were passed by the House

Click here for a list of bills introduced and debated in the House

Ministerial Statements

• A secure future for regional Australia—Deputy Prime Minister (31 March)

Matters of Public Importance discussed

• Planning for the future (29 March)
• Budget (30 March)
• Cost of living (31 March)

Committee and delegation business

Committee reports presented

Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration

• Report No. 23: Budget estimates 2022-2023 (31 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity

• Examination of the annual report of the Integrity Commissioner 2020-21 (31 March)

Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts

• The future of regional newspapers in a digital world: Inquiry into Australia’s regional newspapers (31 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services

• Oversight of ASIC, the Takeovers Panel and the Corporations Legislation No. 1 of the 46th Parliament (31 March)

Standing Committee on Economics

• Report on the implications of common ownership and capital concentration in Australia (31 March)
• Uncharted territory: Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia annual reports 2019 and 2020 (31 March)

Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

• Report on the candidate qualification checklist (31 March)

Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training

• Inquiry into the Fair Work Commission annual report 2019-20 (31 March)
• Don't take it as read: Inquiry into adult literacy and its importance (31 March)

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• Strengthening Australia's relationships with countries in the Pacific (31 March)
• Inquiry into PFAS remediation in and around Defence bases: Final report (31 March)
• First periodic report on human rights: Final report into certain aspects of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade annual report 2019-20 (31 March)

Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport

• Inquiry into childhood rheumatic diseases: Interim report (31 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights

• Human rights scrutiny report: Report 2 of 2022 (31 March)

Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs

• Interim report on better corporate engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers: an issues paper (31 March)

Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities

• Government procurement: A sovereign security imperative (31 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

• Advisory report on the National Security Legislation Amendment (Comprehensive Review and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2021 (30 March)
• Advisory report on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure Protection) Bill 2022 (30 March)
• Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector (30 March)
• Report by statement: A review of regulations listing Hizballah and The Base as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (30 March)

Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories

• Interim report: Inquiry into availability and access to enabling communications infrastructure in Australia’s external territories (31 March)
• Interim report: Inquiry into economic, social and environmental sustainability in the Indian Ocean Territories (31 March)

Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

• Current scheme implementation and forecasting for the NDIS (31 March)
• General issues—Work of the committee in the 46th Parliament (31 March)

Standing Committee on Petitions

• Report 36: Petitions and Ministerial responses (31 March)

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

• Report 488: Commonwealth financial statements 2019-20 (31 March)
• Report 489: Defence major projects report 2019-20 (31 March)
• Report 490: Alternative financing mechanisms (31 March)
• Report 491: Review of the Auditor-General Act 1997 (31 March)

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works

• Referrals made December 2021 (2nd report of 2022) (29 March)
• Referral made February 2022 (3rd report of 2022) (29 March)

Select Committee on Regional Australia

• Pride of place: Inquiry into the future of regional Australia (31 March)

Selection Committee

• Report No. 43 relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members’ business on Monday, 11 April 2022 (30 March) 

Select Committee on Social Media and Online Safety

• Social Media and Online Safety (31 March)

Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue

• The Australian dream: Inquiry into housing affordability and supply in Australia (31 March)

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

• Report 200: International Labour Organization Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) (31 March)

Government responses presented

Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources

• Super-charging Australian Agriculture (29 March)

Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs

• Report on Indigenous participation in employment and business (30 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

• Reviews of Administration and Expenditure: No. 18 (2018-2019) and No. 19 (2019-2020) (29 March)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement

• Summary report of the 24 June 2020 public hearing on the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Deaths in Custody Program (29 March)

Standing Committee on Procedure

• A window on the House: practices and procedures relating to Question Time (31 March)

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

• Executive Minute report 481 (31 March)
• Executive Minute report 486 (31 March)

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

• Report 193: Strengthening the trade agreement and treaty-making process in Australia (29 March)
• Report 199: Agreement for the Exchange of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information (29 March)

Delegation reports presented

No delegation reports were presented 

Private Members’ business

No private members' motions were moved or debated