The sitting week featured: statements on the United States presidential election and the appointment of the next Parliamentary Budget Officer; suspensions of standing orders to enable consideration of bills beyond the usual times; and the presentation of a memorandum of understanding on the exercise of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority’s information-gathering powers where parliamentary privilege may apply.
Statements on the appointment of the next Parliamentary Budget Officer
On Monday morning, the Speaker informed the House that Ms Sam Reinhardt had been appointed the Parliamentary Budget Officer from 18 November 2024. The Member for Barton, as chair of the Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit, also made statement in connection with the appointment.
Marking the deaths of a former Member and a significant Australian
Before Question Time on 4 November, the Speaker informed the House of the death of Harry Vernon Quick, the former Member for Franklin (1993 to 2007). Following this, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, on indulgence, made statements on the death of Fay Surtees Marles AM.
Legislation
Introductions
Five private Member’s bills were introduced during private Members’ business on Monday: a bill to reform the governance, performance and accountability of grants, Investment Mandates and use of public resources; a bill to amend the Competition and Consumer Act 2010; a bill to make the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct a mandatory industry code for large retailers and wholesalers; a bill to amend the Corporations Act 2001; and a bill to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Six private Member’s bills have been scheduled by the Selection Committee for presentation when the House next sits on 18 November.
Six government bills were introduced this week. This included the Migration Amendment Bill 2024, which was introduced on Thursday following a decision of the High Court of Australia the day before.
Federation Chamber
On Tuesday, the Leader of the House made a declaration referring six bills to the Federation Chamber for consideration: one immediately and five at the adjournment of debate on the second reading.
On Wednesday, two bills were returned to the House from the Federation Chamber with unresolved questions. As decisions in the Federation Chamber are made on the voices, a single Member dissenting from an announced result causes the unresolved question to be reported to the House. When the question is subsequently put in the House, two voices are required to call a division.
On Thursday, the Leader of the House declared the Aged Care Bill 2024 and the Aged Care Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 returned to the House for further consideration.
Passing the House
The House passed eight bills this week. This includes the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 and the Aged Care Legislation Amendment Bill 2024. The passage of these bills involved suspensions of standing and sessional orders to allow consideration to continue past the times set for interruption or adjournment (see below).
Motions to suspend standing and sessional orders
There were two motions to suspend standing and sessional orders moved during the week, both to enable consideration of a bill to continue past the time set down in the standing orders for the House to move on to other business or to adjourn.
On Wednesday, the Leader of the House moved, on notice, a motion to suspend standing and sessional orders to enable debate on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 to continue past the usual time for adjournment. The motion was agreed on the voices and, while debate was interrupted for the adjournment debate at the usual time of 7.30 pm, it resumed until interrupted at 10 pm.
On Thursday, following the declaration returning two bills from the Federation Chamber to the House (see above), the House considered the Aged Care Bill 2024. This bill was amended and read a third time shortly before the time for Members’ 90 second statements. The Aged Care Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 was then called on, and a division commenced on an amendment to the second reading that had been moved by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
The Leader of the House moved, by leave, a motion to suspend standing order 43 until the conclusion of the bill. The suspension motion was agreed to and the bill passed through the remaining stages. Members’ 90 second statements then commenced, approximately eight minutes after the usual time.
Statements on indulgence
Before Question Time on Thursday, the Prime Minister, on indulgence, made a statement on the results of the United States of America’s presidential election and congratulated Donald Trump on becoming the President-elect. The Leader of the Opposition, on indulgence, made a statement on the same matter.
Parliamentary privilege
On Thursday, the Speaker presented a memorandum of understanding between the Presiding Officers and Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA), and made a statement in relation to the exercise of IPEA’s information-gathering powers where parliamentary privilege may apply. The memorandum will ensure IPEA's powers are exercised in a way that affords parliamentarians an opportunity to raise claims of parliamentary privilege, and will safeguard the relevant information and documents whilst claims of parliamentary privilege are being considered.
Committee membership
When the House was not sitting, the Speaker was notified by the Opposition Whip of changes in the membership of the House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy. On Monday, the membership changes were reported and resolved by the House in accordance with standing order 229(b).
On 7 November, a Government Member was appointed a supplementary member of the same committee.
Committee activity
Eight committee reports were presented this week, including the House Standing Committee on Economics’ report into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims, and the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society’s second interim report into digital platforms and the traditional news media. These reports were received by the Acting Speaker out of sittings and were presented to the House in accordance with standing order 247.
The House is scheduled to meet next on 18 November.