Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I have received a message from the Senate transmitting the following resolution agreed to by the Senate:

(1) That a joint select committee, to be known as the Joint Select Committee on oversight of the implementation of redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse be established following the tabling of the final report of the Royal Commission to inquire into and report upon:

(a) the Australian Government policy, program and legal response to the redress related recommendations of the Royal Commission, including the establishment and operation of the Commonwealth Redress Scheme and ongoing support of survivors; and

(b) any matter in relation to the Royal Commission's recommendations referred to the committee by a resolution of either House of the Parliament.

(2) That the committee present its final report on the final sitting day of November 2018.

(3) That the committee consist of 8 members – 4 senators, and 4 members of the House of Representatives, as follows:

(a) 2 members of the House of the Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips;

(b) 2 members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips;

(c) 1 senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

(d) 1 senator to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate;

(e) 1 senator to be nominated by any minority party or independent senator; and

(f) the Leader of Derryn Hinch's Justice Party (Senator Hinch).

(4) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Government Whip in the House of Representatives, the Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minority party or independent senator or member of the House of Representatives; and

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee.

(5) That every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(6) That the members of the committee hold office as a joint select committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time.

(7) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(8) That Senator Hinch be appointed as chair of the committee and the committee elect as deputy chair a member or senator nominated by the Opposition.

(9) That the deputy chair shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee, and at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting.

(10) That the committee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(11) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President and the Speaker.

(12) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such papers and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.

(13) That the committee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(14) That the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

(15) That a message be sent to the House of Representatives seeking its concurrence in this resolution.

Ordered that the message be considered immediately.

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