Temporary orders

The committee has considered the following temporary orders of the Senate, which were first agreed to on the dates shown.

• No questions to chairs of committees or senators other than ministers at question time (15 October 2008)
• Temporary appointment of substitute members of committees (14 August 2006)
• Adjournment debate on Tuesdays – choice of senators to make a twenty minute speech (19 November 2002)
• No divisions on Thursdays after 4.30 pm (as against 6.00 pm in the standing order) (11 May 2004)

The committee considers that these temporary orders have been sufficiently tried and should now be incorporated into the standing orders. The committee recommends, however, that, in relation to the abolition of questions to chairs of committees and senators other than ministers, the Senate should recognise in the text of the standing orders the long-standing practice whereby questions may be put to the President on matters for which the President has responsibility.

Attached to this report are the recommended amendments of the standing orders accordingly.

 

Alan Ferguson
Deputy President and Chair of Committees
Chair of the Procedure Committee

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