General committee provisions
40 Meetings with House of Representatives committees
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A committee may not confer or sit with a committee of the House of Representatives except by order of the Senate.
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When such an order has been made, it shall be communicated by message to the House of Representatives with a request that leave be given to the committee of that House to confer or sit with the committee of the Senate.
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A committee permitted or directed to confer with a committee of the House of Representatives may confer by writing or orally.
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Proceedings of a conference or joint sitting of a committee of the Senate and a committee of the House of Representatives shall be reported to the Senate by its committee.
Amendment history
Adopted: 19 August 1903 as SOs 311 to 314 (corresponding to paragraphs (1) to (4)) but renumbered as SOs 307 to 310 for the first printed edition
1989 revision: Old SOs 319 to 322 combined into one, structured as four paragraphs and renumbered as SO 40; repositioned from old chapter XXII on select committees; language simplified; one change of substance, with committees able to confer in writing as well as orally
Commentary
Meetings between committees of the two houses are rare. For commentary on SO 40, see Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice, 14th edition.