The committees of the Australian Senate are committees of Senators, established by the Australian Senate, for purposes determined by that body. Senate committees are part of the operation of the Australian parliament, and have for some decades been involved in maintenance of government accountability to the Australian parliament, particularly through hearings to scrutinise the budget, and through public inquiries on policy questions.
History of the committees
The existence of parliamentary committees is mentioned in section 49 of the Constitution of Australia, which makes reference to 'The powers, privileges, and immunities of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, and of the members and the committees of each House...' However, the Senate had few committees, engaged in limited activities, until 1970.J.R. Odgers, Australian Senate Practice (11th edn), Department of the Senate, Canberra, Chapter 16. A number of domestic committees had operated since the establishment of the parliament, but prior to 1970 the only significant committee to be established was the Regulations and Ordinances Committee in 1932, one of the legislative scrutiny committees (see below).
In 1970, the present committee system was created, with a series of standing (permanent) committees established that mirrored the portfolio activities of government. These reforms significantly enhanced the expertise and power of the Senate: The Senate is now undergoing the most fundamental and dramatic changes witnessed in the Commonwealth Parliament since the States decided to federate 70 years ago. The introduction of a wide-ranging committee system will make the red-carpeted Upper House potentially the most powerful parliamentary chamber in Australia.Sydney Morning Herald, 3 November 1970
These reforms were also significant in that they gave to Senate committees the role of examining the budget (what is referred to as the estimates process or estimates hearings), which had hitherto been confined to the Senate and its committee of the whole. The role of the committees was enhanced by three subsequent developments. First, in 1982 the Scrutiny of Bills Committee was established, which, in examining all bills, played a role that complemented that of the examination of all delegated legislation by the Regulations and Ordinances Committee. Second, in 1989 the Senate adopted procedures for the systematic referral of bills to committees, increasing the level of legislative scrutiny taking place within parliament.Vander Wyk, J. and Lilley, A., (2005), 'Reference of Bills to Australian Senate Committees', Papers on Parliament, no. 43, Department of the Senate, Canberra Third, in 1993, the committees adopted a more extensive procedure for consideration of the budget, creating a second opportunity each year for Senators to follow up issues identified during the initial budget estimates hearings. These second hearings are referred to as supplementary budget estimates. Though the committee system was restructured in 1994, 2006 and again in 2009, the range of functions has remained essentially the same.
Purposes of committees The functions of committees depend on the type of committee and on the work it is undertaking. Most of the committees are established under the Senate's Standing Orders.
Standing committees The Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees (often referred to simply as 'standing committees') are established by Standing Order 25.Senate Standing Order 25, retrieved September 2007 The standing committees are actually made up of pairs of committees – a legislation committee and a references committee. The legislation committees are responsible for scrutinising bills referred to them by the chamber; examining the government's budget and activities (in what is called the budget estimates process);Department of the Senate, 'Consideration of Estimates by the Senate's Legislation Committees', Senate Brief number 5, February 2005 and for examining departmental annual reports and activities. The references committees are responsible for conducting inquiries into topics referred to them by the chamber.From 2006 to 2009 these pairs of committees were integrated into one committee. Details are provided elsewhere in the article.
Select committees Select committees are temporary committees, established by the Senate to deal with particular issues. This may occur when a particular group of Senators wishes to examine an issue in depth, or where there is no existing committee suited to addressing a particular topic. Australian Senate select committees have included ones set up to examine the Administration of Indigenous Affairs, and Mental Health. Select committees usually cease to exist upon reporting back to the chamber. One exception to this was the Senate Select Committee on Superannuation which in various forms existed for a decade.Department of the Senate, A Light of Reason: The Work of the Senate Select Committee on Superannuation, Papers on Parliament No. 45, Department of the Senate, August 2006
Domestic committees Domestic committees are responsible for administering aspects of the Senate's own affairs. The selection of bills committee meets each sitting fortnight to consider which of the bills coming before the Senate will be referred to committees for detailed consideration. The procedure committee considers "any matter relating to the procedures of the Senate referred to it by the Senate or by the President".Senate Standing Order 17, retrieved September 2007. This committee thus regularly examines and reports back to the chamber on suggested changes to the operation of the Senate and its committees, such as what times of day the chamber will sit and what rules should govern its order of business.
Established by Standing Order 18 of the Senate, the privileges committee is responsible for reporting on matters of parliamentary privilege referred to it by the Senate.Department of the Senate, Senate Standing Committee of Privileges, retrieved September 2007 The protections afforded by parliamentary privilege are essential to parliament and its committees to be able to operate effectively.Department of the Senate, 'Parliamentary Privilege', Senate Brief No 11, September 2006, retrieved September 2007. The bulk of the work of the privileges committee's work is associated with facilitating a 'right of reply' for people adversely named in the Senate, as well as involving investigations of unauthorised disclosures of Senate committee proceedings,Committee of Privileges Parliamentary privilege — unauthorised disclosure of committee proceedings, 122nd Report, 2005, retrieved September 2007. complaints from witnesses in connection with evidence given to committees, and allegedly misleading evidence given to committees.Committee of Privileges, Parliamentary Privilege Precedents, Procedures and Practice in the Australian Senate 1966–2002, 107th Report, 2002, retrieved September 2007.
Legislative scrutiny committees The purpose of the scrutiny of bills committee is to assess "legislative proposals against a set of accountability standards that focus on the effect of proposed legislation on individual rights, liberties and obligations, and on parliamentary propriety".Australian Parliament website, Scrutiny of bills committee http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/scrutiny/cominfo.htm The Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation performs a similar task, but for all subordinate legislation.
Other committees Senators may be members of joint committees: committees jointly established by both chambers of the Australian parliament. An example of this is the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia, appointed by resolution by the House of Representatives on 4 July 2019 and the Senate on 22 July 2019. The inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia was referred to this Committee in June 2020.
Political parties will often have caucus committees comprising members of the parliamentary party; these committees will often have a policy focus, but are not committees of the parliament and are not bound by any of parliament's rules of procedures.
List of committees
These are the committees of the 47th Parliament that exist within each category: CommitteeChairDeputy ChairStanding committeesCommunity Affairs Legislation Marielle Smith (SA) Janet Rice (VIC) References Janet Rice (VIC) Marielle Smith (SA)Economics Legislation Jess Walsh (VIC) Andrew Bragg (NSW) References Andrew Bragg (NSW) Jess Walsh (VIC)Education and Employment Legislation Tony Sheldon (NSW) Matt O'Sullivan (WA) References Matt O'Sullivan (WA) Tony Sheldon (NSW) Environment and Communications Legislation Karen Grogan (SA) Sarah Hanson-Young (SA) References Sarah Hanson-Young (SA) Karen Grogan (SA)Finance and Public Administration Legislation Louise Pratt (WA) Richard Colbeck (TAS) References Richard Colbeck (TAS) Louise Pratt (WA)Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Raff Ciccone (VIC) Claire Chandler (TAS) References Claire Chandler (TAS) Raff Ciccone (VIC)Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Nita Green (QLD) Paul Scarr (QLD) References Paul Scarr (QLD) Nita Green (QLD)Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Glenn Sterle (WA) Matthew Canavan (QLD) References Matthew Canavan (QLD) Glenn Sterle (WA)Select committeesAustralia’s Disaster Resilience Jacqui Lambie (TAS) Tony Sheldon (NSW) Final Report due 8 August 2024Cost of Living Jane Hume (VIC) Penny Allman-Payne (QLD) Final Report due 31 May 2024Perth Mint and Commonwealth regulatory compliance Dean Smith (WA) Dorinda Cox (WA) Final Report due 28 March 2024Supermarket Prices Nick McKim (TAS) Glenn Sterle (WA) Final Report due 7 May 2024Taxation of Gas Resources Steph Hodgins-May (VIC) Varun Ghosh (WA) Final Report due 7 May 2026Domestic committeesAppropriations, Staffing and Security Sue Lines (WA) Andrew McLachlan (SA) Privileges Slade Brockman (WA) Deborah O'Neill (NSW) Procedure Andrew McLachlan (SA) Publications Fatima Payman (WA) Wendy Askew (TAS) Selection of Bills Anne Urquhart (TAS) Senators' Interests Linda Reynolds (WA)Legislative scrutiny committees Scrutiny of Bills Dean Smith (WA) Raff Ciccone (VIC) Scrutiny of Delegated LegislationVacant Linda Reynolds (WA)Joint Statutory CommitteesBroadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings Milton Dick MP Senator Sue LinesCorporations and Financial Services Senator Deborah O'Neill Alex Hawke MPIntelligence and Security Peter Khalil MP Andrew Wallace MPLaw Enforcement Senator Helen Polley Llew O'Brien MPHuman Rights Josh Burns MP Henry Pike MPPublic Accounts and Audit Julian Hill MP Senator Linda ReynoldsPublic Works Graham Perrett MP Keith Pitt MPJoint Standing Committees Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Senator Jana Stewart Melissa Price MP Electoral Matters Kate Thwaites MP Senator James McGrathForeign Affairs, Defence and Trade Shayne Neumann MP Senator David FawcettImplementation of the National Redress Scheme Senator Catryna Bilyk Senator Dean SmithMigration Maria Vamvakinou MP Anne Webster MPNational Anti-Corruption Commission Senator Karen Grogan Helen Haines MPNational Capital and External Territories Alicia Payne MP Nola Marino MPNational Disability Insurance Scheme Libby Coker MP Senator Hollie HughesNorthern Australia Marion Scrymgour MP Warren Entsch MPParliamentary Library Senator Slade Brockman Anne Stanley MPPublications Fiona Phillips MP Senator Fatima PaymanTrade and Investment Growth Steve Georganas MP Scott Buchholz MPTreaties Josh Wilson MP Phillip Thompson MP
Membership and rules of committees