5th Sep 2023, 4:46 PM – Senate Committees - Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements Select Committee - Appointment

The majority of senators voted in favour of a motion, which means it succeeded and a Select Committee on Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements will be established.

Repeat of earlier division

Note that this is the second time this vote was taken, due to an error made during the first division.

Motion text

(1) That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements, be established to inquire into and report on all Federal Government decisions relating to any proposals received in the past 12 months for additional services to Australia's major airports, with particular reference to:

(a) the impacts of the decision on competition in the Australian aviation sector and the cost of living pressures on families and business;

(b) the impact on the Australian economy, including on Australian travellers, the tourism and hospitality sectors and movement of freight;

(c) the rights of airlines or other bodies to appeal decisions regarding bilateral air services agreements made by the responsible minister; and

(d) any other related matters.

(2) That the committee present its final report by 9 October 2023.

(3) That the committee consist of 7 senators, as follows:

(a) three nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate;

(b) two nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate;

(c) two nominated by minority party or independent senators.

(4) 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 minority 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) a participating member shall be taken to be a member of a committee for the purpose of forming a quorum of the committee if a majority of members of the committee is not present.

(5) That 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee.

(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 a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and as deputy chair a member nominated by a minority party or independent senator.

(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 appoint subcommittees consisting of 2 or more of its members, and to refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to consider.

(12) That the committee and any subcommittee 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 and the evidence taken and such interim recommendations as it may deem fit.

(13) 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.

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