7th Nov 2022, 3:54 PM – Representatives Committees - Joint Select Committee on Fair Work Amendment Legislation; Appointment - Don't let another vote happen

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with a motion to suspend the usual procedural rules - known as standing orders - in order to let a vote on another motion take place.

Motion text

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business from moving the following motion immediately—

That:

(1) a Joint Select Committee on Fair Work Amendment Leg islation be established to inquire into and report on the provisions of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022;

(2) the committee consist of 12 members, being two from the House of Representatives and two from the Senate no minated by the Prime Minister, two from the House of Representatives and two from the Senate nominated by the Leader of the Opposition, and two from the House of Representatives and two from the Senate to be nominated by any minority group or independent M ember or Senator;

(3) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) in the event that a house is not sitting and is not expected to meet for at least two weeks, the relevant whip in the House of Representatives, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, minority groups or independent Senators may nominate any appointment or discharge of a member of a committ ee in writing to the relevant Presiding Officer. The change in membership shall take effect from the time the Presiding Officer received the written nomination. At the next sitting, the Presiding Officer shall report the change to the relevant house and th e house shall resolve that membership of the committee;

(5) the persons appointed for the time being to serve on the committee shall constitute the committee notwithstanding any failure by the Senate or the House of Representatives to appoint the full numb er of Senators or Members referred to in this resolution;

(6) members of the committee hold office as a joint select committee until presentation of the committee's report;

(7) the committee elect a chair and deputy chair;

(8) in the event of an equally di vided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(9) four members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include at least one Government member of either house and one non-Government member of either house;

(10) the committee have power to:

(a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;

(b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(c) sit in public or in private; and

(d) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(11) the committee report on or before the last sitting day in February 2023;

(12) the bill not proceed past its second reading until the committee has reported; and

(13) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing and sessional orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing and sessional orders.