Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1)

That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Mental Health Services, be appointed to inquire into, monitor and report by 30 June 2008 on ongoing efforts towards improving mental health services in Australia.

(2)

That the committee have the power to consider and use for its purposes the transcripts of evidence and records of the Select Committee on Mental Health appointed on 8 March 2005.

(3)

That the committee have the power to send for and examine persons and documents, call for and receive submissions, and convene public hearings, roundtables and symposia on developments in mental health including new and changing issues in policy.

(4)

That the committee may report from time to time its proceedings and evidence and any recommendations, and shall make regular reports of the progress of the proceedings of the committee.

(5)

That the committee shall have reference to the reports of the Select Committee on Mental Health A national approach to mental health - from crisis to community, the National Action Plan on Mental Health agreed to at the July 2006 meeting of the Council of Australian Governments, and the National Mental Health Strategy and associated plans.

(6)

That the committee consist of 7 senators, 3 nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 3 nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and 1 nominated by the Leader of the Australian Democrats.

(7)

That the chair of the committee be elected by the committee from the members nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

(8)

In the absence of agreement on the selection of a chair, duly notified to the President, the allocation of the chair be determined by the Senate.

(9)

That the deputy chair of the committee be elected by and from the members of the committee immediately after the election of the chair.

(10)

That the deputy chair act as chair when there is no chair or the chair is not present at a meeting.

(11)

That the quorum of the committee be 3 members.

(12)

Where the votes on any question before the committee are equally divided, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote.

(13)

That the committee and any subcommittee 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 or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(14)

That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to consider.

(15)

That the quorum of a subcommittee be 2 members.

(16)

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.

(17)

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

Question put.