Procedural orders and resolutions of the Senate of continuing effect

32 - Appropriations – ordinary annual services of the government

The Senate resolves:

1. To reaffirm its constitutional right to amend proposed laws appropriating revenue or moneys for expenditure on all matters not involving the ordinary annual services of the government.
   
   
2. That appropriations for expenditure on:
   1. the construction of public works and buildings;
   2. the acquisition of sites and buildings;
   3. items of plant and equipment which are clearly definable as capital expenditure;
   4. grants to the states under section 96 of the Constitution; and
   5. new policies not previously authorised by special legislation, are not appropriations for the ordinary annual services of the government and that proposed laws for the appropriation of revenue or moneys for expenditure on the said matters shall be presented to the Senate in a separate appropriation bill subject to amendment by the Senate.
      
      (17 February 1977 J.572)

33 - Casual vacancies

Where the place of a senator who is a member of a particular political party becomes vacant before the expiration of the senator’s term of service, in the opinion of the Senate a person chosen to fill the vacant place in accordance with section 15 of the Constitution should be the member of the political party duly nominated by that party to fill that place; ...

(19 March 1987 J.1698)

Note: Part of a longer resolution, dealing with the case of a vacancy in the representation of Tasmania.

34 - Casual vacancies

The Senate –

1. believes that casual vacancies in the Senate should be filled as expeditiously as possible, so that no state is without its full representation in the Senate for any time longer than is necessary;
   
   
2. recognises that under section 15 of the Constitution an appointment to a vacancy in the Senate may be delayed because the Houses of the Parliament of the relevant state are adjourned but have not been prorogued, which, on a strict construction of the section, prevents the Governor of the state making the appointment; and
   
   
3. recommends that all state parliaments adopt procedures whereby their Houses, if they are adjourned when a casual vacancy in the Senate is notified, are recalled to fill the vacancy, and whereby the vacancy is filled:
   1. within 14 days after the notification of the vacancy, or
   2. where under section 15 of the Constitution the vacancy must be filled by a member of a political party, within 14 days after the nomination by that party is received,
   whichever is the later.
   
   (3 June 1992 J.2401, reaffirmed 7 May 1997 J.1866)

35 - Taxation bills – retrospectivity

Where the government has announced, by press release, its intention to introduce a bill to amend taxation law, and that bill has not been introduced into the Parliament or made available by way of publication of a draft bill within 6 calendar months after the date of that announcement, the Senate shall, subject to any further resolution, amend the bill to provide that the commencement date of the bill shall be a date that is no earlier than either the date of introduction of the bill into the Parliament or the date of publication of the draft bill.

(8 November 1988 J.1104)

Note: Part of a resolution agreed to by way of an amendment to the motion for the second reading of a bill.

36 - Quorum

The Senate ...

4. notes that it is the clear responsibility of all senators to maintain the quorum in the Senate.
   
   (4 October 1989 J.2083)
   
   Note: Part of a longer resolution relating to a count-out of the Senate and a motion of censure.

37 - Committee reports – government responses

1. The Senate declares its opinion that, following the presentation of a report from a standing committee or select committee of the Senate which recommends action by the government, the government should, within the ensuing 3 months, table a paper informing the Senate of its observations and intentions with respect to such recommendations.
   
   
2. The Senate resolves that the President communicate this resolution to the government with a request that the foregoing procedure apply, from the date of the passing of this resolution, to reports already presented during the present session and, in respect of future reports, from the date of presentation of a report.
   
   
3. A government response to a committee report under this resolution shall respond to any minority or dissenting report and any matter added to the report by any member or participating member of the committee.
   
   (14 March 1973 J.51, amended 24 August 1994 J.2054)
   
   Note: Government responses to committee reports have since been the subject of undertakings by governments. Undertakings were given on:
          26 May 1978 – Senate Debates (Hansard) p. 1933.
          24 August 1983 – Senate Debates (Hansard) p. 141.
          5 November 1991 – Journals p. 1625.

38 - Division of bills

The committee ... reasserts the principle that the division of any bill by the Senate is a form of amendment of a bill, not different in principle from any other form of amendment, and should be considered as such.

(12 December 2002 J.1363)

Note: Resolution of a committee of the whole, adopted by the Senate on 12 December 2002 following consideration of a message from the House of Representatives relating to the Family and Community Services Legislation Amendment (Australians Working Together and other 2001 Budget Measures) Bill 2002.

39 - Joint meetings to receive addresses by foreign heads of state

The Senate considers that any future parliamentary addresses by visiting foreign heads of state should be received by a meeting of the House of Representatives in the House chamber, to which all senators are invited as guests.

(11 May 2004 J.3377)

Note: Agreed to upon adoption of the Procedure Committee’s third report of 2003.

40 - Storage of Senate documents

The Senate authorises the storage outside Parliament House by the National Archives of Australia of documents laid before the Senate, provided that the storage of those documents is under the control of the Department of the Senate and microfilm copies of them are available within Parliament House.

(6 October 2005 J.1200)