Appendix 3 - Trends in bills referral to Senate committees
|
Year
|
No. of Bills
introduced into Parliament
|
Individual Bills
referred
|
%age of
individual Bills referred
|
Package of Bills
referred
|
%age of package
of Bills referred
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002
|
271*
|
62
|
23%
|
45
|
17%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003
|
266^
|
68
|
26%
|
53
|
20%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
208^
|
64
|
31%
|
49
|
24%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
219#
|
102
|
47%
|
71
|
32%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*Does include Bills readopted from previous
Parliament (5)
Does not include (a) Appropriation Bills; Bills restored
to Notice Paper at 2nd reading but not referred; 2 draft Bills
^ Does not include (a) Appropriation Bills; Bills restored
to Notice Paper at 2nd reading but not referred
# Does include Bill withdrawn (1)
Does not include (a) Appropriation Bills; Bills restored
to Notice Paper at 2nd reading but not referred
Senate Finance and Public Administration
Committee
Additional Estimates 2006-07 – Hearing 12 February 2007
Department of the Senate
Answers to Questions on Notice
P3: Hansard, p.10 - Senator Murray
Comparative figures on time between presentation of legislation
reports and consideration of legislation.
Average time between
Senate committees reporting on bills
and bills being
debated
August 2001 to December 2002
Average number of sitting days before debate: 14.74
Average number of working days before debate: 46.21
Note: due to 2001 election several bills referred to
committees subsequently lapsed and are not included in these figures
August 2005 to December 2006
Average number of sitting days before debate: 6.51
Average number of working days before debate: 22.21
Note: as at 28 February 2007, the 05-06
figures do not include several bills still to be debated by the Senate, however
2 bills listed for debate on 27/2/07 have been included
Senate Finance and Public Administration
Committee
Additional Estimates 2006-07 – Hearing 12 February 2007
Department of the Senate
Answers to Questions on Notice
P4: Hansard, p.12 - Senator Murray
Statement of reasonable minimum time for a committee inquiry on a bill
Answer: The following time line is regarded as a reasonable minimum for
each stage of a bill inquiry given a reporting time of 27 days (the average
time for a bill inquiry in 2005-06). On this time line 8 days - 3 and 4, 10 and
11, 17 and 18, 24 and 25 - are weekends and are not working days for those
outside the parliamentary environment.
Day 1 - Initial committee meeting to make decisions on conduct of inquiry, set
date for hearings and deadline for submissions (secretariat to develop list of
potential witnesses, examine bill and associated documents including Bills
Digest and Scrutiny of Bills Committee comment)
Day 2 – secretariat to organise advertisement of inquiry and letters seeking
submissions
Day 3 – weekend
Day 4 – weekend
Day 5 – secretariat commences work on report – outline of bill and introductory
material (basis for briefing paper for committee), contact potential witnesses,
organise venues, travel and other administration for public hearings
Day 6 – as above, process early submissions
Day 7 – as above
Day 8 – as above
Day 9 – deadline for submissions, submissions arrive en masse
Day 10 – weekend
Day 11 – weekend
Day 12 – secretariat to process submissions and organise witnesses for public
hearings, in consultation with Chair and committee
Day 13 – secretariat to prepare meeting papers for hearing
Day 14 – as above
Day 15 – public hearing
Day 16 – draft report while awaiting Hansard (while Hansard can be provided on 24
hour turnaround it is more reasonable to factor in the three day turnaround)
Day 17 – weekend, as above if necessary
Day 18 – as above
Day 19 – draft report while awaiting Hansard, organise meeting to consider report
Day 20 – finalise report – insert Hansard quotes
Day 21 – provide early draft to Chair
Day 22 – edit and proof read report awaiting Chair's input
Day 23 – discuss report with Chair, make amendments and provide to
committee members for consideration meeting
Day 24 – weekend, secretariat to work on editing and proofreading draft
Day 25 – weekend as above
Day 26 – meeting to consider report, Secretariat to work late to make necessary
amendments and process any additional comments, dissenting reports etc.
Day 27 – printing and tabling
These dates are indicative and flexible.
Frequently, a committee may make a decision to give witnesses more time to
prepare submissions and will hold the hearing at a later date. This will
obviously affect the rest of the time line, as will the Chair's availability to
consider the draft report and make comments to be incorporated by the
secretariat. The secretariat's work will depend on factors such as the
complexity of the inquiry, the number of submissions.
The time line may also alter if it is clear from
the public hearing that there is no possibility of a unanimous report, when
every effort will be made by the secretariat to shorten the time lines so that
other committee members may have more time to prepare dissenting reports or
additional comments.
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