Australian House of Representatives committees
Parliamentary committees of the Australian House of Representatives are groups of Members of Parliament, appointed by the House of Representatives, to undertake certain specified tasks. They comprise government and non-government Members and have considerable powers to undertake work on behalf of the Parliament.[1]
Federation Chamber
editThe Federation Chamber, formerly the Main Committee, provides an additional forum for the second reading and consideration in detail stages of bills and debate of committee reports and papers presented to the House. All Members of the House are automatically members of the Federation Chamber and eligible to participate in its meetings.[2]
Standing committees
editUnder the Standing Orders of the House, standing committees are appointed for the life of the Parliament and they are usually re-established in some form in successive Parliaments (that is, after each election).
The House has two types of standing committees:
- general purpose committees – established to inquire into and report upon any matters referred to them, including legislation. These committees specialise by subject area, between them covering most areas of policy and government administration.
- domestic or internal committees – concerned with the powers and procedures of the House or the administration of Parliament.
Select committees
editSelect committees are appointed as the need arises for a specific purpose, and have a limited life.
Joint committees
editJoint committees are established by both Houses of the Australian parliament and include both Members and Senators. 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.[3] 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.[4]
Pay and Benefits
editMembers receive no additional pay for their service as ordinary members on committees. Committee Chairs and Deputy Chairs receive additional pay depending on the committee on which they serve, which is specified as a percentage of the base pay of an MP and Senator ($225,750 as of October 2023). Additional pay for committee chairs is 11-16% of the base pay ($24,832.5-$36,120). Deputy Chairs receive 5.5-8% ($12,416.25-$18,060).[5]
List of House and Joint committees
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Infosheet – Committees – Parliament of Australia".
- ^ "Infosheet – The Federation Chamber – Parliament of Australia".
- ^ "Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia". Parliament of Australia. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia". Parliament of Australia. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination (No.2) 2023" (PDF). www.remtribunal.gov.au.
- ^ a b "Standing Orders of the House of Representatives Chapter 16". Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "House Votes and Proceedings No.1 26 July 2022". Retrieved 12 March 2024.