Committee activity
At 30 June 2015, nine Committee Office secretariats were supporting nine House general-purpose standing committees; 10 joint statutory, standing or select committees; and one domestic committee.
Committees supported by the Committee Office in 2014–15 are shown in Table 8.
Table 8 Committees of the Forty-fourth Parliament supported by the Committee Office, 2014–15
House Committees |
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry
|
Standing Committee on Economics
|
Standing Committee on Education and Employment
|
Standing Committee on the Environment
|
Standing Committee on Health
|
Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs
|
Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications
|
Standing Committee on Petitions a |
Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs
|
Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue
|
Joint Committees |
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
|
Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia |
Joint Select Committee on Trade and Investment Growth
|
Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters
|
Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
|
Joint Standing Committee on Migration
|
Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories
|
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties
|
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security
|
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works
|
a In October 2014, the Petitions Committee secretariat was moved to the Committee Office, although the
Chamber Research Office continued to provide some administrative support during the reporting period.
Note: Five other House committees, mainly those concerned with the domestic operations of the House, and the Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings are supported by other areas of the department, and are discussed on pages 17–19. The Petitions Committee is also reported on there.
On 1 July 2014, the committees supported by the Committee Office had 32 ongoing inquiries. During 2014–15, the committees commenced 76 new inquiries and tabled 70 reports relating to 66 inquiries. At 30 June 2015, the committees had 42 ongoing inquiries. The inquiry-related activities of committees are summarised in Appendixes 5 and 6.
During the year the Committee Office supported a diverse range of inquiries and activities, as the following examples illustrate. The examples highlight the contribution that committees make to policy development and legislation, and the significant support role played by the department.
Scrutiny of legislation
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security completed 14 inquiries in 2014–15, including inquiries on four bills that formed part of the government’s national security measures. These bill inquiries attracted significant media focus and public scrutiny. Specialist secondee resources were utilised for two of the bill inquiries. Their technical expertise greatly assisted secretariat staff, given the complex nature of the bills and the tight inquiry timeframes. Across the four bill inquiries, the committee made 109 recommendations, all of which were supported by the government (one was supported in principle) and the bills were amended accordingly. In the second-reading debate in the House on one of the bills—the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Bill 2014—28 of the 29 members participating in the debate referred specifically to the committee’s work.
The Committee Office supported the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) in scrutinising the operation of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, which establishes a single resource management framework for all Commonwealth entities. The JCPAA played a significant role in the development of the framework, in particular focusing on managing risk, improving performance and accountability to the parliament and the public, and encouraging collaboration between agencies. In 2015–16, the JCPAA will continue its inquiry into the development of the Commonwealth performance framework to ensure an effective, integrated performance management and reporting system.
Complex logistics
The Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia presented its final report, titled Pivot north, during the year. The department supported the committee through 27 public hearings and 15 days of inspections across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The inquiry was wide-ranging and received 352 submissions and 99 exhibits, all of which were used in conjunction with the final report. The report served as a platform for development of the government’s policy on northern Australia.
The travel between remote locations combined with the short inquiry timeframe required secretariat staff to arrange extensive logistical support, including charter vehicles of all types. As a result of this work, the Committee Office developed a revised departmental charter policy.
The House Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs completed an inquiry into the harmful use of alcohol in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The committee consulted widely across Australia, visiting capital cities, rural areas and remote communities. The secretariat, in addition to providing research and procedural advice, provided highly effective logistical support to the committee to enable it to fulfil its challenging public hearing program.
Diverse inquiries
The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties completed inquiries into the Korea–Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Japan–Australia Free Trade Agreement, which generated considerable public interest, particularly the Korea–Australia Free Trade Agreement. The committee recommended the passage of both treaties.
The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters completed its inquiry into the 2013 federal election and presented a second interim report and final report. In these and the earlier first interim report on Senate voting practices, the committee presented a wide-ranging set of recommendations for consideration in future electoral processes. In supporting the inquiry, secretariat staff received valuable assistance from a specialist secondee from the Australian Electoral Commission.
In October 2014, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry tabled the report of its inquiry into country-of-origin labelling for food. Titled A clearer message for consumers, the report sought to identify solutions to a policy issue that had been investigated several times in the previous decade with varying degrees of success. In early 2015, public health concerns about imported frozen berries brought food labelling to prominence. The government’s response included the announcement of significant reforms of food labelling policy.
The Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee undertook an inquiry into the government’s response to the committee’s 2013 report Troubled waters: inquiry into the arrangements surrounding crimes at sea. The inquiry is believed to be the first time a committee has inquired into a government response and was a result of the committee’s concern that the response was 10 months late and agreed with only two of the 11 recommendations. The inquiry provided an opportunity for the committee to reinforce the importance of its earlier report and the recommendations, and to ensure that a more detailed response was provided. Following the inquiry, the committee made three new recommendations.
Non-inquiry activity
The Auditor-General is a significant stakeholder in and contributor to the work of the
committees, and the Committee Office maintains a productive working relationship with
Australian National Audit Office staff. As an independent officer of the parliament, the
Auditor-General is responsible for ensuring accountability and transparency in the delivery
of government programs and services. The JCPAA has a statutory duty under the Public
Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951 to approve or reject a proposed recommendation
for appointment to the office of Auditor-General.
On 14 May 2015, the JCPAA approved the appointment of Mr Grant Hehir as the new
Auditor-General. The Auditor-General is appointed by the Governor-General, under the
Auditor-General Act 1997, for a term of 10 years, and Mr Hehir commenced office on
11 June 2015. Prior to his appointment, Mr Hehir was the New South Wales Auditor-General.
The JCPAA acknowledged the significant achievements of Mr Ian McPhee AO PSM, who
served as Auditor-General for the past 10 years.
The Defence Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence
and Trade conducts an annual program of briefings on and inspections of Defence units and
facilities. The 2014–15 program was structured around the themes of Defence strategy, policy
and budget; current operations; emerging threats and capabilities; and personnel, preparedness
and sustainment. Secretariat staff—and in particular the Defence Advisor, who is a Defence
officer on secondment—arrange the program, in conjunction with the Department of Defence.
During the year, the sub-committee:
-
inspected NUSHIP Canberra, the Navy’s new amphibious assault ship, which was nearing
completion at Williamstown shipyard in Victoria
-
spent a day at sea with the crew of HMAS Canberra undergoing work-up training off
Jervis Bay
-
visited the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, and ASC Pty Ltd’s submarine
facilities in Adelaide
-
inspected Navy Base HMAS Stirling and the Special Air Service Regiment in Western Australia
-
visited the Avalon International Airshow, and observed C-130 Hercules capability while in
transit to inspect units at RAAF Base Amberley.
Inspections provide members with a unique insight into the Defence organisation and its
operation that would be difficult to obtain otherwise. They also allow members to interact with
Defence personnel and hear, firsthand, about the delivery of Australia’s vital defence capabilities.
Members of the Defence Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade inspecting a C-17A Globemaster aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley.