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

I present the Procedure Committee's third report of 2015.

Ordered that the report be printed.

I move:

That consideration of the report be made a Business of the Senate order of the day for the next day of sitting.

Question agreed.

by leave—I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

This report addresses two matters that have been considered recently by the Procedure Committee. The first matter is consideration of ministerial statements, while the second is a minor adjustment to standing orders sought by the Joint Committee on Publications.

Senators on the committee considered that the presentation of ministerial statements to both Houses was an important feature of parliamentary government. In relation to the presentation of ministerial statements, the committee endorsed the following practices:

The committee also endorsed the principle that senators should have a right to speak to ministerial statements, although it has resolved to consider further at a later date whether the oral presentation of a ministerial statement should continue to require leave. In the meantime, the committee has recommended the trial of a temporary order that would create a right for any senator, including a minister, to take note of a statement and speak to it for not more than 10 minutes.

The committee's second recommendation is for a minor change to standing order 22, at the request of the Joint Committee of Publications, to bring the standing order into line with contemporary practices for the publication of documents in both printed and digital formats.

I commend the report to the Senate and, if no other senator wishes to speak, seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted. Debate adjourned.