Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I remind senators, as I have in the past, of page 485 of Odgers, which says that back in 2009 'the Procedure Committee recommended an understanding that there should be no more than three select committees in existence at any time'. There are currently seven select committees. This motion will take it to eight. I point out that a stipend is paid by the public in relation to these committees. A chair receives an additional payment of $23,240 and the deputy chair receives $11,620. This is a cost to the taxpayer of $34,000. At the same time we're paying stipends to references committee chairs and deputy chairs, and those committees seem mostly unutilised. I won't support a select committee here, but I would support it going to a references committee.