Appendix Four – Administrative arrangements for the compilation and maintenance of the Register of Senators’ Interests

The Committee of Senators’ Interests, in accordance with the resolution of the Senate relating to the registration of Senators’ interests, has determined the following arrangements for the compilation and maintenance of the Register of Senators’ Interests.

Compilation

  1. A senator’s statement of registrable interests is to be provided on two forms–
    1. Form A – Senators, on which shall be recorded the registrable interests of the senator; and
    2. Form B – Spouses or Partners and Dependent Children, on which shall be recorded, to the extent that the senator is aware of them, the registrable interests of a spouse or partner and any dependent children.

      3. If a senator does not have a spouse or partner, or dependent children, Form B does not need to be completed or lodged. To assist senators, the Registrar of Senators’ Interests will issue a notice in hard copy and by email to all senators when a new statement is due and one further reminder by the same means.

      Form A, and as applicable, Form B together shall comprise a senator’s statement of interests but, in accordance with the Senate’s resolution, only Form A will be tabled and be available for public inspection.

  2. Amendments to either form should be notified to the Registrar of Senators’ Interests on the ‘Notification of Alteration of Interests Declared’ form, where possible. Amendments may be notified by letter but, in either case, must be in writing.

  3. All forms are published on the committee’s website at https://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/interests_ctte/index.htm either for printing and completing by hand or for completing electronically before printing.

  4. A statement of interests or notification of alteration of interests must be signed by a senator and lodged, as an original document (i.e., not faxed), with the:

    Registrar of Senators’ Interests
    The Senate
    Parliament House
    CANBERRA   ACT   2600.

    Senators who use the electronic version of the forms should print a hard copy and sign that.

  5. Notifications of alterations of interests, declared on Form A or by letter, will form part of the register. Such notifications will be placed in the register after the statement of interests of the senator concerned, in the order of receipt.

  6. The Registrar of Senators’ Interests will, by email, acknowledge receipt of all statements and notifications of alterations.

  7. Statements of interests will be placed in the register in alphabetical order by senators’ surname.

  8. To assist senators, the committee has prepared Explanatory Notes. These are for the guidance of senators and are not meant to cover every situation. The attention of senators is drawn to the following statement in the Explanatory Notes:

    9. No form can cover all possible circumstances and senators should consequently bear in mind the purpose and spirit of the return in deciding which matters should be registered.

  9. The Explanatory Notes explain the list of registrable interests set out in the Senate resolution and provide examples of interests which, in the opinion of the committee, need or need not be declared under the terms of the Senate’s resolution. The Explanatory Notes will be revised from time to time to reflect the views of the committee on the interpretation of the resolution, but the committee’s views are for the guidance of senators. In the end, each senator must make his or her own decision as to interests which fall within the terms of the resolution. Note that it is not the role of the Registrar of Senators’ Interests to give advice on the interpretation of the resolution.

Maintenance

  1. The original statements of interests, and notifications of alterations, will be kept on individual files for each senator. Correspondence with the senator will also be kept on the individual file. Only the senator concerned, the committee and the Registrar of Senators’ Interests will have access to the file.

  2. Forms A and B, and notifications of alterations of interests, are to be date stamped with the registry stamp. Two copies will be made of Form A and any notifications of alterations of interests declared on Form A. One copy is for tabling, and the other is for the register available for public inspection.

  3. The register available for public inspection will be available from the 28th day after any of the events identified in paragraphs 1(a), (b) or (c) of resolution 1 until the date of tabling of the next full register and will contain all material provided to the Registrar of Senators’ Interests during that period.

  4. The register will be closed off and prepared for tabling immediately after the deadline for receipt of statements has passed. Any statements not lodged by the deadline will be available for inspection on receipt by the Registrar and will be included in the next tabled volume of alterations.

  5. Notifications of alterations of interests will become public from the date of receipt. In accordance with the Senate’s resolution, notifications of alterations of interests will be tabled at least every six months.

  6. The responsibility for notifying alterations to a statement of interests is, under the terms of the Senate’s resolution, that of each senator. To assist senators, the Registrar of Senators’ Interests will, at least twice a year, issue a reminder notice in hard copy and by email.

  7. New statements of interests are to be provided at the times specified in resolution 1. The new statement should include details of benefits received since the last notification of alterations of interests, and interests as at the date of making and subscribing an oath or affirmation of allegiance.

  8. New senators should declare any benefits received which fall within the terms of the Senate’s resolution from the date of their election or choice as a senator, and other interests from the date of making and subscribing an oath or affirmation of allegiance.

  9. Access to the register available for public inspection will continue during and after an election until such time as a new register is tabled. A senator’s statement of interests will be removed from the register from the date that the senator ceases to be a senator. The public will, however, continue to have access to statements of past senators which have been tabled in the Senate through the Table Office.

Notification by email

  1. Email notifications referred to in the preceding paragraphs will be sent to senators’ Parliament House email addresses and to any other email address notified to the Registrar. It is the responsibility of individual senators to inform the Registrar of any changes to these additional email addresses. The Registrar’s email address is: senators.interests@aph.gov.au.

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