Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of Senator Gallagher, I move:

1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Families, be established to inquire into and report by 13 October 2015 on the following matters:

(a) the short- and long-term impact and potential impact on Australian families and children of decisions of the Abbott Government taken since its election, including:

  (i) proposed changes to Family Tax Benefits contained in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets,

  (ii) proposed changes to income support payments, including Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance contained in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets,

  (iii) proposed changes to child care contained in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets,

  (iv) proposed changes to Parental Leave Pay contained in the 2015-16 Budget,

  (v) the abolition of the Schoolkids Bonus and the Income Support Bonus, and

  (vi) any other changes by the Abbott Government to payments and/or concessions made directly by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services to Australian families; and

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(b) the impact of these changes on particular groups of vulnerable families and children, including single parent families, single income families, families of people with disability, low-income families, Indigenous families and other vulnerable groups.

(2) That the committee consist of 5 senators, 2 nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 2 nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and 1 nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens.

(3) That:

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

(4) That 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee.

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

(6) That the committee elect as chair one of the members nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and as deputy chair the member nominated by the Leader of the Australian Greens.

(7) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(8) That, in the event of an equality of voting, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(9) 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.

(10) 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.

(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.

(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.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a stunt by the opposition designed to frustrate the government's legislative agenda. There is a process in place whereby senators are able to scrutinise legislation by referring it to a committee for inquiry and report. This has happened for the three social services budget related bills that have come before the chamber this week. In addition to individual bills being referred to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, a Senate select committee to inquire into the effect of changes in the Commonwealth budget has already been established. This is yet another example of the Australian Labor Party seeking to deal themselves out of constructive negotiations in this place.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply note in this motion that there is absolutely no provision for crossbench representation. The motion proposes five senators from the government, the opposition and the Greens but none from the crossbench. For that reason, I will be opposing it and I encourage my fellow crossbench senators to similarly oppose it.

Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note in relation to the comments made by Senator Leyonhjelm that of course all senators can be participating members of the select committee and contribute to proceedings in that way.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion no. 772 be agreed to.