Parliamentary committees of the Australian House of Representatives are groups of Members of Parliament, appointed by the House of Representatives, to undertake certain specified tasks. They comprise government and non-government Members and have considerable powers to undertake work on behalf of the Parliament.[1]
Federation Chamber
editThe Federation Chamber, formerly the Main Committee, provides an additional forum for the second reading and consideration in detail stages of bills and debate of committee reports and papers presented to the House. All Members of the House are automatically members of the Federation Chamber and eligible to participate in its meetings.[2]
Standing committees
editUnder the Standing Orders of the House, standing committees are appointed for the life of the Parliament and they are usually re-established in some form in successive Parliaments (that is, after each election).
The House has two types of standing committees:
- general purpose committees – established to inquire into and report upon any matters referred to them, including legislation. These committees specialise by subject area, between them covering most areas of policy and government administration.
- domestic or internal committees – concerned with the powers and procedures of the House or the administration of Parliament.
Select committees
editSelect committees are appointed as the need arises for a specific purpose, and have a limited life.
Joint committees
editJoint committees are established by both Houses of the Australian parliament and include both Members and Senators. An example of this is the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia, appointed by resolution by the House of Representatives on 4 July 2019 and the Senate on 22 July 2019.[3] The Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia was referred to this Committee in June 2020.[4]
Pay and Benefits
editMembers receive no additional pay for their service as ordinary members on committees. Committee Chairs and Deputy Chairs receive additional pay depending on the committee on which they serve, which is specified as a percentage of the base pay of an MP and Senator ($225,750 as of October 2023). Additional pay for committee chairs is 11-16% of the base pay ($24,832.5- $36,120). Deputy Chairs receive 5.5-8% ($12,416.25-$18,060).[5]
List of House and Joint committees
edit
| Committee | Chair | Deputy Chair | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House General Purpose Standing Committees[6][7] | ||||
| Agriculture | Meryl Swanson | Rick Wilson | ||
| Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water | Tony Zappia | David Gillespie | ||
| Communications and the Arts | Brian Mitchell | Bridget Archer | ||
| Economics | Daniel Mulino | Garth Hamilton | ||
| Employment, Education and Training | Lisa Chesters | Terry Young | ||
| Health, Aged Care and Sport | Mike Freelander | Melissa McIntosh | ||
| Industry, Science and Resources | Rob Mitchell | Michelle Landry | ||
| Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport | Luke Gosling | Tony Pasin | ||
| Social Policy and Legal Affairs | Susan Templeman | Pat Conaghan | ||
| House Domestic Committees[6] | ||||
| Appropriations and Administration | Milton Dick | Mark Coulton | ||
| Petitions | Susan Templeman | Ross Vasta | ||
| Privileges and Members' Interests | Rob Mitchell | James Stevens | ||
| Procedure | Shayne Neumann | Ross Vasta | ||
| Publications | Fiona Phillips | Ross Vasta | ||
| Selection | Milton Dick | Sharon Claydon | ||
| House Select committees | ||||
| Workforce Australia Employment Services | Julian Hill | Russell Broadbent | ||
| Joint Statutory Committees | ||||
| Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings | Milton Dick MP | Senator Sue Lines | ||
| Corporations and Financial Services | Senator Deborah O'Neill | Alex Hawke MP | ||
| Intelligence and Security | Peter Khalil MP | Andrew Wallace MP | ||
| Law Enforcement | Senator Helen Polley | Llew O'Brien MP | ||
| Human Rights | Josh Burns MP | Henry Pike MP | ||
| Public Accounts and Audit | Julian Hill MP | Senator Linda Reynolds | ||
| Public Works | Graham Perrett MP | Keith Pitt MP | ||
| Joint Standing Committees | ||||
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | Senator Jana Stewart | Melissa Price MP | ||
| Electoral Matters | Kate Thwaites MP | Senator James McGrath | ||
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade | Shayne Neumann MP | Senator David Fawcett | ||
| Implementation of the National Redress Scheme | Senator Catryna Bilyk | Senator Dean Smith | ||
| Migration | Maria Vamvakinou MP | Anne Webster MP | ||
| National Anti-Corruption Commission | Senator Karen Grogan | Helen Haines MP | ||
| National Capital and External Territories | Alicia Payne MP | Nola Marino MP | ||
| National Disability Insurance Scheme | Libby Coker MP | Senator Hollie Hughes | ||
| Northern Australia | Marion Scrymgour MP | Warren Entsch MP | ||
| Parliamentary Library | Anne Stanley MP (Joint Chair) | |||
| Senator Slade Brockman (Joint Chair) | ||||
| Publications | Fiona Phillips MP | Senator Fatima Payman | ||
| Trade and Investment Growth | Steve Georganas MP | Scott Buchholz MP | ||
| Treaties | Josh Wilson MP | Phillip Thompson MP | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Infosheet – Committees – Parliament of Australia".
- ^ "Infosheet – The Federation Chamber – Parliament of Australia".
- ^ "Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia". Parliament of Australia. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia". Parliament of Australia. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ https://www.remtribunal.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/MP%202023%20-%20Compilation%20No.%203.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b "Standing Orders of the House of Representatives Chapter 16". Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "House Votes and Proceedings No.1 26 July 2022". Retrieved 12 March 2024.