u10 am
Prayers and acknowledgement of country
The bells ring for 5 minutes prior to the Senate meeting. Senators stand as the President is announced by the Black rod.
The President bows to each side of the chamber; senators return the bow.
The President reads a prayer and makes an acknowledgement of country: standing order 50
Documents presented
A list of documents to be presented (or 'tabled') will be attached to the Red. They include:
- Annual reports of departments and agencies
- Reports of the Auditor-General
- Responses to Senate resolutions
Debating opportunities and time limits
| Motion to take note (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) |
5 mins |
SO 61(3) |
| Limit for debate: 30 mins |
| Resumption (Thursday) |
5 mins |
SO 61(3) |
| Limit for debate: 1 hr (combined with committee reports and government responses) |
| Motion moved by leave |
5 mins |
SO 169(2) |
| Limit for debate: 15 mins per motion, 30 mins for all motions |
See also Guide to Senate Procedure Nos 10 - Tabling of documents and 11 - Opportunities for debating documents and reports
Lodgement times
Documents to be received by the Sub-Table Office no later than 5 pm of the working day before the document is to be tabled.
Clerk's documents
Tabling of documents required to be presented by Acts of Parliament.
These include legislative instruments: eg regulations, determinations, rules, orders.
The Senate may 'disallow' many regulations and similar instruments so that they cease to have effect. That process operates according to a time frame that begins on the day the instrument is tabled.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure Nos 10 - Tabling of documents and 19 - Disallowance
Committees - proposals to meet
Committees require leave of the Senate to hold public hearings and some private meetings when the Senate is sitting: standing order 33. Committees can, through their chairs, lodge forms asking for authorisation to meet. In practice, these are lodged with the Table Office by committee secretaries.
Proposals to meet are listed on the Red. These are taken to be approved unless any senator requests that a proposal be put to a vote, in which case the President proposes the question 'that the committee be authorised to meet', which is determined by the Senate without amendment or debate.
Lodgement times
The form, signed by the chair of the committee, is to be lodged with the Sub-Table Office by 5 pm.
General business orders of the day for consideration of bills
Most bills considered by the Senate are government bills, introduced by ministers. However, time is set aside on Mondays to consider bills introduced by other senators ("private senators' bills"). Private senators' bills may also be considered on Thursday afternoon, at a time set aside for general business.
The bill or bills to be considered are set by motion, usually moved by the Manager of Government Business, either during the previous sitting week or at the start of this item of business.
Senators often seek to have the question put on different stages of the bill [standing order 99, closure of debate], or to adjourn debate to bring on another bill [standing order 201]. These motions may be moved by a senator who has not spoken in the debate, or by a minister, and are determined by majority decision.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure Nos 16 - Consideration of legislation, 2 - Rules of debate, and 4 - Categories of business
Debate time limits
12.20 pm
Government business only
Debate on motions moved by ministers. Most time is spent on consideration of government bills. Speaking lists are generally prepared by the Government Whip's office. Where the routine specifies government business "only", Government business takes precedence; in other cases the Senate may first have to deal with Matters of Privilege and Business of the Senate - principally government bills.
See also Guides to Senate Procedure Nos 16 - Consideration of legislation and 4 - Categories of business
Debate time limits
Bills
Other motions
2 pm
Questions
Senators may ask Ministers questions relating to their ministerial responsibilities. The rules for questions are in standing order 73.
Questions are allocated to parties approximately in proportion to their numbers in the Senate, and the order of questions is determined by the President. Senators given the call may ask one question followed by two supplementary questions.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 6 - Questions
Time limits
Total time limit - approximately an hour, ending when the Leader of the Government asks "That further questions be placed on notice."
Questions on notice - Lodgement times
Questions on notice must be lodged with the Table Office no later than 5 pm on sitting days, and in non-sitting weeks by 2 pm on the Wednesday before the next day of sitting to be registered in the next Notice Paper.
Motions to take note of answers
Debate on answers given at question time.
A motion is moved in the form "that the Senate take note of the answer(s) given by ... to the question(s) asked by ...".
Debate must be relevant to the motion moved.
By convention, an initial motion is moved by an opposition senator, with the call alternating between opposition and government for the first 5 speakers. A cross bench senator is then given the call to either contribute to the initial debate or move a motion to note a different answer.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 6 - Questions
Time limit
| Debate on motions relating to answers |
5 mins |
SO 72(4) |
| Limit for debate: 30 mins |
Petitions
The Clerk announces the presentation of petitions, which senators have lodged with the Senate Table Office.
There is no opportunity to debate petitions. Senators commonly speak about petitions during the adjournment debate or senators' statements each day, or during other relevant speaking opportunities.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 7 - Petitions
Lodgement times
Petitions must be lodged with the Table Office by:
- 9 am on a day on which the Senate sits at midday; and
- 5 pm on the working day prior to the Senate sitting at 9.30 am or 10 am.
Notices of motion given
Decisions of the Senate begin as motions moved by senators. The first step is usually for a senator to give notice of intention to move a motion on a subsequent day. Notices can be handed to the Clerk or lodged with the Table Office before the time for notices each day. Senators may also choose to read out their notices at the relevant time (an attendant will then deliver them to the Clerk).
Senators seeking to withdraw a notice of motion given on a previous day may do so at any time but ordinarily do so at this time.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 8 - Notices of motion
Selection of Bills Committee report
After the time for notices on any day (but typically on Thursday) the Chair of the Selection of Bills Committee may table the committee's report, recommending that bills be referred to legislation committees for inquiry and report. The Chair moves a motion to adopt the report, which may be debated [standing order 115(6)]. Senators often move amendments to the adoption motion, proposing to vary the committee's recommendations (eg to add or remove bills or alter the reporting date).
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 13 - Referring matters to committees
Time limit
| Selection of Bills Committee—adoption of report |
5 mins |
SO 24A(7) |
| Limit for debate: 30 mins |
Lodgement times
Signed notices may be lodged with the Sub-Table Office, or the Clerk at the table, by 3.15 pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and by 11 am on Thursday.
Placing of business
This item deals mainly with the postponement or rearrangement of business, including extending the time for committees to report.
Postponements and extensions: Senators can lodge forms with the Table Office requesting that their notices be postponed to a future date. Similarly, committees can, through their chairs, lodge forms asking to extend their reporting dates. [In practice, these are lodged with the Table Office by committee secretariats.]
If there is no time to lodge the relevant form, these matters may be dealt with by leave (that is, where no senator present objects).
Proposals to postpone notices or extend reporting dates are listed on the Red and/or announced by the Clerk. These are taken to be approved unless any senator requests that a proposal be put to a vote, in which case the President proposes the question "that the item be postponed" or "the reporting date be extended", which is determined by the Senate without amendment or debate.
Other matters that may be dealt with here include:
- senators (usually whips) moving that leave of absence be granted to senators
- ministers proposing particular items of business be dealt with during the time set aside for private senators' bills (Monday morning), non-controversial government business (Thursday lunchtime) and general business (Thursday afternoon).
Lodgement times
Extensions of time for a committee to report
The form, signed by the chair of the committee, is to be lodged with the Sub-Table Office by 5 pm.
Formal business
This is a fast track method for dealing with some types of motions allowing votes to be taken on motions listed on the Notice Paper, provided no senator objects to proceeding this way: standing order 66.
In theory, formal motions are voted on "without amendment or debate", but in practice these can occur by leave (that is, where no senator present objects).
It is common for there to be divisions during this time.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure Nos 4 - Categories of business and 8 - Notices of motion
MPI or urgency motion
Discussion or debate on a matter lodged by letter to the President of the Senate in accordance with standing order 75. The first proposal received after 8.30 am is put to the Senate. Where more than one proposal is lodged with the Sub-Table Office at the same time, the matter is determined by lot. The proposal to debate or discuss the matter must be supported by five or more senators (including the proposer) when the President reports the proposal to the Senate. Time limit 1 hour or, if no motions to take note of answers, 90 minutes.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 9 - Matters of public importance or urgency
Time limits
| All speakers |
10 mins |
SO 75(7) |
| Limit for debate: 1 hr, or 1 hr 30 mins if no motions are moved after question time to take note of answers |
According to the standing orders each senator may speak for up to 10 minutes. In practice, the allocation is often varied by informal agreement between the parties, and the agreed time is shown on the speech timers in the Senate.
Consideration of documents tabled earlier in the day
Debate on documents presented at the start of the day's sitting, which are listed on the Red.
The Chair will generally indicate which documents are being considered. Senators may move motions in the form "That the Senate take note of the document", or may speak to that motion if another senator has already moved it. Debate on one document must be completed, or adjourned to another day, before the Senate moves to the next document.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 11 - Opportunities for debating documents and reports
Time limits
| Motion to take note (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) |
5 mins |
SO 61(3) |
| Limit for debate: 30 mins |
| Motion moved by leave |
5 mins |
SO 169(2) |
| Limit for debate: 15 mins per motion, 30 mins for all motions |
Ministerial statements
Ministers may make statements to the Senate about any matter within their responsibilities. The making or tabling of ministerial statements typically occurs at this point in the day, but may occur at other times when no other business is before the Senate.
Senators may move motions in the form "That the Senate take note of <the statement>", or may speak to that motion if it has already been moved. Debate on one statement must be completed, or adjourned to another day, before the Senate moves on to the next.
See also Brief Guide to Senate Procedure Nos 10 - Tabling of documents and 11 - Opportunities for debating documents and reports
Time limits
| Motion to take note |
10 mins |
SO 169 |
| Limit for debate: 30 mins per motion, 1 hr for all motions |
Committee memberships
The Senate determines which senators will be appointed to Senate and joint committees. The President reports letters from party leaders and independent senators proposing to appoint or discharge senators to committees, and calls on a minister to move a motion to give effect to those proposals. Such motions are moved by leave (unanimous consent of all senators present), but it is rare for leave to be denied as these motions are not usually controversial.
The text of the motion will be linked from the Dynamic Red prior to being moved, or will be available from the Table Office or chamber attendants. Although listed on the Red at the times shown, motions about committee membership may also be moved at other times.
If there are two or more candidates vying for a spot on a committee, a ballot is held at a time determined by the President to suit the convenience of the Senate.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure No. 14 - Committee membership
Messages
The two Houses formally communicate to each other by messages signed by the President or the Speaker. Sometimes these messages will be for information only, but many of them request the concurrence of one House in the work of the other (for instances, messages asking the Senate to consider bills passed by the House).
The President generally reports messages from the House at the times shown, although messages may be reported at other times to suit the convenience of the Senate or the government's program.
See also Guide to Senate Procedure no. 18 - Communication between the Houses - dealing with messages
Business of the Senate (if any)
Presentation of reports and debate on motions given precedence above government business. Business is generally listed on the Red and may include the types of business listed below.
Matters of Privilege: proposals to refer matters to the Privileges Committee. An item will only fall into this category if the President has determined that the matter should have special priority under standing order 81.
Business of the Senate orders requiring the presentation of committee reports. If reports are tabled at this time, senators require leave if they wish to move motions to take note. By convention, the content of reports on legislation is debated when the subject legislation is itself before the Senate, so leave to take note at this point will ordinarily be refused.
Disallowance motions: either notices of motion to disallow instruments, or orders of the day to resume debate on such motions. These debates are subject to the general rules of debate, with up to 15 minutes per speaker and no overall time limit. Sometimes - particularly when it is the last day to determine the disallowance motion - the Senate may impose a strict time limit.
Committee references: either notices of motion to refer matters to committees, or order of the day to resume debate on such motions. These debates are typically subject to the general rules of debate, with up to 15 minutes per speaker an no overall time limit. The exception is to proposals to refer bills to committees, which have a 30 minute time limit, with 5 minutes per speaker: standing order 115(6). In practice, these motions are routinely fast-tracked as formal business.
See also Guides to Senate Procedure Nos 4 - Categories of business, 13 - Referring matters to committees, 19 - Disallowance, and 20 - Parliamentary privilege
Time limits
9.50 pm
Adjournment proposed
The motion "That the Senate do now adjourn" is proposed from the chair and may be debated. Senators may address any topic they choose.
Time limits
| Monday |
10 mins |
SO 54(5) |
| Tuesday |
5 min | 10 mins |
SO 54(5) & (6) |
| Wednesday |
5 mins |
SO 54(5) |
| Thursday |
5 min | 10 mins |
SO 54(5) & (7) |
| Limit for debate: 40 mins on Monday and Wednesday, no limit on Tuesday, 30 mins on Thursday |