Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Publications Committee sitting in conference with the Publications Committee of the Senate. Copies have been placed on the table.

Report—by leave—agreed to.

by leave—The Publications Committee sits on each occasion that the parliament sits, to authorise publication of papers which are not specifically authorised for publication by the House or the Senate. The committee has been working very diligently to ensure the efficient publication of papers. We are encouraging the Presiding Officers to give greater consideration to expanding the electronic papers series, where papers will be presented other than to the House and to the other chamber, in electronic form, for distribution. This will result in not only less duplication but certainly greater efficiencies, both in cost and in time. This is something to be encouraged. It is something that the committee has been working on diligently for some time. We have now written to the Presiding Officers, and we seek to expand the electronic paper series come the opening session of the 2013 parliament. On that, I conclude my remarks. I will keep the House informed about the developments of the committee.