Preliminary Pages
Foreword
It is often said that debates in the House of
Representatives can be dull, characterised by lengthy speeches to an almost
empty chamber. This inquiry by the Procedure Committee has looked at ways of
enlivening debates on legislation and other methods of encouraging an
interactive chamber. It builds on the committee’s 2003 report titled
“Arrangements for second reading speeches”.
In that report the committee supported a proposal by the
former Speaker, the Hon. Neil Andrew, that second reading speeches on bills be
reduced from 20 minutes to 15 minutes, with 5 minutes at the end for a question
and answer period. In the light of the success of the intervention procedure in
the Main Committee, the committee believes an extension of interventions to the
chamber, to allow for interventions after 15 minutes of a second reading speech
have passed, would provide for a similar outcome as the earlier proposal.
The committee encourages the trial of new arrangements in
the broader context of encouraging a more interactive House of Representatives
chamber.
Margaret
May MP
Chair
Membership of the Committee
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Chair
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Mrs M A May MP
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Deputy
Chair
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Mr D Melham MP
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Members
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Hon B K Bishop MP
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Mrs P Draper MP
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Ms K J Hoare MP
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Mr L Hartsuyker MP
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Hon L R S Price MP
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Committee Secretariat
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Secretary
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Joanne Towner
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Research
Officer
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Peter Banson
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Administrative
Officer
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Penelope Branson
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Terms of reference
General terms of reference
To inquire into and report on the practices and procedures
of the House generally with a view to making recommendations for their
improvement or change and for the development of new procedures
Terms of reference of the inquiry
Arrangements for second reading speeches and other methods
of encouraging an interactive chamber.
List of recommendations
Recommendation 1 |
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The committee recommends that standing orders be amended to
allow interventions after the first 15 minutes of each second reading speech
in the Chamber (other than the speeches of the mover and lead speaker in
response). This should be implemented on a trial basis from the start of
sittings in 2007, and reviewed by the Procedure Committee after 6 months of
operation.
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Recommendation 2 |
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The committee recommends that Members should have the right
to opt out of answering questions on their second reading speeches in the
Chamber, either by indicating at the beginning of the speech that he/she
would not be taking questions after the first 15 minutes of the speech, or by
listening to a question before deciding whether to answer it.
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Recommendation 3 |
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The committee recommends that interventions should be brief
and directly relevant to the second reading speech, and that the Speaker
should have the discretion to rule out of order any intervention that abuses
the orders or forms of the House.
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