Tasmanian Greens MPs

Final Motion

GOVERNMENT BUSINESSES SCRUTINY COMMITTTEE. – A Motion being made and the Question being proposed - That the House of Assembly appoint a Government Businesses Scrutiny Committee, with leave to sit on 6 and 7 December 2018 to inquire into Government Businesses (GBs) in accordance with the following schedule and rules.

For 2018 the following Government Businesses are allocated to the Committee as detailed below:—

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE—

(1)           The Committee shall consist of four (4) Members appointed by the House as follows:—

The Chair of Committees (Chair);

Mr Hidding (Deputy Chair);

One Member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition; and

One Member nominated by the Leader of the Greens.

(2)           During sittings, substitute Members may be allowed.

(3)           If a vacancy occurs in the membership of a Committee, the Speaker may nominate a Member in substitution, but in so doing has regard to the composition of the Committee appointed by the House.

(4)           A Committee may proceed with business despite a vacancy in its membership.

(5)           The Chair of a Committee has a deliberative and a casting vote.

(6)           The quorum of a Committee is three, of whom one is the Chair of the Committee or Deputy Chair.

(7)           If at any time a quorum is not present, the Chair will suspend proceedings of the Committee until a quorum is present or adjourn the Committee.

(8)           Any time lost for lack of a quorum shall be added to the time allocated to that session.

(9)           Members of the House who have not been appointed as Members of the Committee, may participate in proceedings by asking questions, but may not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purposes of a quorum.

(10)        The responsible Minister and Chairperson of the Board of a GB shall be examined before a Committee for a maximum period of 4 hours.

SITTING TIMES

(1)           The Committee meets only in accordance with the time-table adopted by the House or as varied by the Chair.

(2)           The Committee may sit only when the House is not sitting.

HEARINGS

All hearings of the Committee are open to the public except that any evidence stated by a witness to be of a commercially sensitive or confidential nature shall, if requested by at least one Member of the Committee, be heard in camera. Any such evidence shall not be published or in any way divulged by any Member of a Committee or any other person unless the Committee recommends it to the House and the House resolves that the information be made public.

PROCEEDINGS OF A GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

(1)           When the activities of a GB are to be examined at a Committee hearing it shall be represented by the responsible Minister and the Chairperson of the Board.

(2)           Questions may be put directly to the responsible Minister and the Chairperson of the Board.

(3)           A Committee may ask for explanations relating to the activities, performance, practices and economic management of the GB.

(4)           The witnesses who are asked for explanations may be assisted where necessary by other officers of the GB in the provision of factual information.

(5)           Officers may answer questions at the request of the responsible Minister but shall not be required to comment on policy matters.

(6)           Time limits of one minute for a question and three minutes for an answer shall apply in a Committee.

(7)           Questions may be asked on a ratio of two Opposition, one Government and one other Member or in such form as the Committee determines.

(8)           A witness may advise a Committee that an answer to a question, or part of a question, will be given later to that Committee, and where possible that Committee sitting day.

(9)           Additional information may be provided to a Committee about an answer given.

(10)        Additional information—

(a)           is to be written;

(b)           given by a time decided by a Committee; and

(c)           may be included in a volume of additional information laid on the Table of the House by the Committee.

(11)         If any Member persistently disrupts the business of a Committee, the Chair

(a)           names the Member;

(b)           if the Member named is a Member of the Committee, suspends the sittings of the Committee until he or she has reported the offence to the Speaker; and

(c)           if the Member named is not a Member of the Committee, orders that Member's withdrawal from the sittings of the Committee until he or she has reported the offence to the Speaker;

as soon as practicable, the Chair advises the Speaker who then gives notice that the Member of the Committee be replaced.

(12)         If any objection is taken to a ruling or decision of the Chair,

(a)           the objection must be taken at once and stated in writing;

(b)           the Chair, as soon as practicable, advises the Speaker who makes a ruling on the matter; and

(c)           the Committee may continue to meet but may not further examine the matter then under consideration.

(13)         Television coverage will be allowed, subject:—

(a)          to the foregoing provisions contained under “Hearings”; and

(b)          to the same guidelines that apply to televising of the House of Assembly itself.

TRANSCRIPT

An unedited transcript of Committee proceedings is to be circulated, in a manner similar to that used for other Committee transcripts, as soon as practicable after the Committee's proceedings.

Evidence taken in camera shall be printed on coloured paper and shall only be circulated to the Committee Members and shall not be divulged in any way to any other person.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

A Report of the Committee is to be brought up by the Chair or the Deputy Chair to the House and shall be the transcript of the public hearings and the minutes of the meetings of the Committee.

LEAVE FOR MINISTERS TO ATTEND L.C. COMMITTEE

And that the House of Assembly give leave to Ministers of the Crown who have relevant portfolio responsibilities to attend any similar Committee established by the Legislative Council if requested by that Committee as follows:—