4.8 Amendments during consideration in detail
After a Bill is introduced, it may be necessary to amend the Bill because, for example, it is necessary to add new provisions, correct defects not identified before introduction, or make changes in response to reaction to the Bill after its introduction.
The Legislative Assembly deals with amendments to the Bill when it moves to the stage of consideration in detail. This committee is also known as the Committee of the Whole. Because the Assembly ordinarily moves immediately to this stage from the second reading stage to the committee stage, amendments during consideration in detail ordinarily prepared well before the debate for the second reading starts.
Amendments during consideration in detail are ordinarily prepared and supplied to the Table Office of Parliament House by OQPC. This happens whether the amendments are being proposed by the sponsoring Minister or any other member. This is because the amendments may later need to be incorporated by OQPC into the Bill that is passed by the Legislative Assembly. However, there is no requirement for OQPC to prepare the amendments, and members may prepare their own amendments.
The drafter of the Bill at OQPC is usually allocated the task of preparing the amendments to ensure an effective and efficient service is provided.
Within government, an amendment during consideration in detail proposed by the Bill's sponsoring Minister may have to proceed along the same process a Bill proceeds along in order to obtain Cabinet's approval for its introduction, that is, it may require further approvals. It should also be noted that all departments are now required to prepare supplementary explanatory notes for amendments to a Bill intended to be moved during consideration in detail by the sponsoring Minister, if it is practicable to do so.
The Queensland Parliamentary Procedures Handbook should be consulted for important detail about what is, and what is not, permitted to be included in amendments during consideration in detail.
When OQPC is authorised to supply an amendment during consideration in detail, OQPC sends it to the Table Office in electronic form for printing and distribution to members. Either the Table Office or Goprint supplies OQPC with an electronic version of any accompanying supplementary explanatory notes for publication on OQPC's website and, ultimately, in the yearly bound volume of explanatory notes accompanying the bound volumes of Acts as passed.
Last reviewed: 17 July, 2009
Last updated: 22 July, 2009
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