18th Mar 2021 – Senate Committees - Alleged Misuse of Disaster Relief and Recovery Payments in Queensland Committee - Appointment

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts (One Nation), which means it failed.

Motion text

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on the Alleged Misuse of Disaster Relief and Recovery Payments in Queensland, be established to inquire into and report on the alleged misuse of Commonwealth Disaster and Recovery and Relief Funding arrangements and associated activities in Queensland, with reference to:

(a) the alleged misuse of Commonwealth funding in the provision of relief and recovery assistance to disaster affected communities;

(b) the circumstances surrounding the alleged misuse of funding, including the roles of relevant entities;

(c) allegations of redirecting funds and fraudulent claims for the purposes of boosting profits or claiming excessive administration costs;

(d) the lack of transparency relating to the administration of funding arrangements; and

(e) any related matters.

(2) That the committee present its final report on or before 14 October 2021.

(3) That the committee consist of six senators, three nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one to be nominated by the Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation.

(4) That the committee may appoint a sub-committee for the purpose of taking evidence; a sub-committee will consist of any three members, chaired by a government or Pauline Hanson's One Nation member, with one member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

(5) That:

(a) participating members may be appointed to the committee on the nomination of the Leader of the Government in the Senate, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate or any minor party or independent senator;

(b) participating members may participate in hearings of evidence and deliberations of the committee, and have all the rights of members of the committee, but may not vote on any questions before the committee; and

(c) the presence of a quorum for the committee be determined in accordance with the provisions of standing order 29.

(6) That the committee may proceed to the dispatch of business notwithstanding that all members have not been duly nominated and appointed and notwithstanding any vacancy.

(7) That the committee elect as chair the member nominated by the Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation and as deputy chair a member nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

(8) That the deputy chair shall act as chair when the chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

(9) That the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, may appoint another member of the committee to act as chair during the temporary absence of both the chair and deputy chair at a meeting of the committee.

(10) That, in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote.

(11) That the committee have power to send for and examine persons and documents, to move from place to place, to sit in public or in private, notwithstanding any prorogation of the Parliament or dissolution of the House of Representatives, and have leave to report from time to time its proceedings, the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(12) That the committee be provided with all necessary staff, facilities and resources and be empowered to appoint persons with specialist knowledge for the purposes of the committee with the approval of the President.

(13) That the committee be empowered to print from day to day such documents and evidence as may be ordered by it, and a daily Hansard be published of such proceedings as take place in public.