Attachment 1

Temporary orders recommended for permanent adoption

1.     No questions to chairs of committees or senators other than ministers at question time (15 October 2008)

Standing Order 72 is amended as follows:

(1) At the time provided questions may be put to ministers relating to public affairs, and to other senators relating to any matter connected with the business on the Notice Paper of which such senators have charge.

(2) A question may be put to the chairman of a committee relating to the activities of that committee, provided that:

(a) unless leave of the Senate is granted for the question to be asked without notice, it may be asked only on notice;
(b) the question shall not attempt to interfere with the committee’s work or anticipate its report; and
(c) the chairman shall answer only on behalf of the committee.

(2) A question may be put to the President in relation to matters for which the President has responsibility.

(3)

(a) The asking of each question shall not exceed one minute and the answering of each question shall not exceed 4 minutes.
(b) The asking of each supplementary question shall not exceed one minute and the answering of each supplementary question shall not exceed one minute.

(4)

(a) After question time motions may be moved without notice to take note of answers given that day to questions.
(b) A senator may speak for not more than 5 minutes on such a motion.
(c) The time for debate on all motions relating to answers to questions without notice on any day shall not exceed 30 minutes.

2.     Temporary appointment of substitute members of legislative and general purpose standing committees (14 August 2006)

Standing Order 25 is amended by adding after subparagraph (7)(d):

(e) If a member of a committee is unable to attend a meeting of the committee, that member may in writing to the chair of the committee appoint a participating member to act as a substitute member of the committee at that meeting. If the member is incapacitated or unavailable, a letter to the chair of a committee appointing a participating member to act as a substitute member of the committee may be signed on behalf of the member by the leader of the party or group on whose nomination the member was appointed to the committee.

3.       Adjournment debate on Tuesdays – choice of senators to make a twenty minute speech (19 November 2002)

Standing Order 54 is amended by adding after paragraph (5):

(6) On the question for the adjournment of the Senate on Tuesday, a senator who has spoken once subject to the time limit of 10 minutes may speak again for not more than 10 minutes if no other senator who has not already spoken once wishes to speak, provided that a senator may by leave speak for not more than 20 minutes on one occasion.

4.     No divisions on Thursdays after 4.30 pm (as against 6.00 pm in the standing order) (11 May 2004)

Paragraph (3) of Standing Order 57 is amended as follows:

(3) If a division is called for on Thursday after 6 4.30 pm, the matter before the Senate shall be adjourned until the next day of sitting at a time fixed by the Senate.

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