Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That standing order no. 216 be amended as follows:

216 Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests

(a) A Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests shall be appointed to:

(i) inquire into and report on complaints of breach of privilege or contempt which may be referred to it by the House under standing order 51 or by the Speaker under standing order 52, or any other related matter referred to it by or in accordance with a resolution of the House;

(ii) consider and report on serious breach findings which may be referred to it by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission;

(iii) inquire into and report on the arrangements made for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of a Register of Members' Interests;

(iv) consider proposals by Members and others on the form and content of the Register of Members' Interests;

(v) consider specific complaints about registering or declaring interests; and

(vi) consider possible changes to any code of conduct adopted by the House; and

(vii) consider whether specified persons (other than Members) ought to be required to register and declare their interests.

(b) The committee shall consist of 13 members: the Leader of the House or his or her nominee, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition or his or her nominee and 11 other members (six government Members, four opposition Members and one crossbench Member). When the Opposition is composed of two parties, the non-government Members shall consist of at least one member of the smaller opposition party.

(c) The committee may call for witnesses and documents, but when considering a matter concerning the registration or declaration of Members' interests it must not exercise that power or undertake an investigation of a person's private interests unless the action is approved by at least seven members of the committee other than the Chair.

(d) The committee may report when it sees fit, and must report to the House on its operations in connection with the registration and declaration of Members' interests during the year as soon as possible after 31 December each year.

Question agreed to.

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