Parliamentary Procedures Handbook

The Parliamentary Procedures Handbook is part of the Governing Queensland suite of handbooks. It has been prepared by the Parliamentary Service.

The Parliamentary Service is responsible for administrative support to the Assembly and providing advice to Ministers and other members on procedural protocols of the House.

The handbook provides a detailed description of the functions of the Parliament and Legislative Assembly.

Summary

The handbook is published in a user-friendly format with summaries and notes in the wide margin that enable readers to scan text. It provides a definition of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly, an outline of the legislative process, the tabling of papers and reports and the estimates committee process.

Search the Parliamentary Procedures Handbook

Use the form below to search just the Parliamentary Procedures Handbook pages.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Definition of Parliament and the functions of the Legislative Assembly
  • 1.1 Definition of Parliament
  • 1.2 Overview of the functions of the Legislative Assembly
  • 1.3 Supply, confidence and government
  • 1.4 Legislative function
  • 1.5 Financial control
  • 1.6 Scrutiny of the executive
  • 1.7 Inquisitorial function
  • 1.8 Forum for debate and grievance
• Sources of parliamentary law and practice
  • 2.1 Overview
  • 2.2 Statute
  • 2.3 Standing Orders
  • 2.4 Sessional Orders
  • 2.5 Rulings of the Chair
  • 2.6 Custom and practice
  • 2.7 Practice of the House of Commons
• Parliamentary publications
  • 3.1 Votes and Proceedings
  • 3.2 Hansard
  • 3.3 Notice Paper
  • 3.4 Daily Program
  • 3.5 Access to publications
• Meetings and business
  • 4.1 The sessions of Parliament
  • 4.2 Sitting periods and sitting days
  • 4.3 Prorogation and its effects
  • 4.4 Recess
  • 4.5 Dissolution of Parliament and its effects
  • 4.6 Typical Daily Program
  • 4.7 Typical Notice Paper
• Motions, resolutions and orders
  • 5.1 Definition of motion
  • 5.2 Notice of motion
  • 5.3 Some rules relating to motions
  • 5.4 Resolutions and orders
• Amendments
  • 6.1 Definition
  • 6.2 Drafting of amendments to Bills
  • 6.3 Some rules relating to amendments
• Legislation
  • 7.1 General
  • 7.2 Classification of Bills
  • 7.3 Preparation of Bills
  • 7.4 Approval of Government Bill
  • 7.5 Overview and history associated with the stages of a Bill
  • 7.6 Initiation, first reading and printing
  • 7.7 Second reading speech
  • 7.8 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee and the 'Alert Digest'
  • 7.9 Resumption of second reading debate
  • 7.10 Debate in Committee of the Whole House
  • 7.11 Amendments in Committee of the Whole House
  • 7.12 Report, third reading and title
  • 7.13 Attorney - General's confirmation letter for Assent
  • 7.14 Royal Assent
  • 7.15 Urgent Bills
  • 7.16 Urgent Assent to a Bill
  • 7.17 Cognate debates
  • 7.18 Following the progress of a Bill
• Ministerial statements
  • 8.1 The purpose of ministerial statements
  • 8.2 The opportunity to make ministerial statements
  • 8.3 Suggested form for ministerial statement
  • 8.4 Making a ministerial statement outside the provided time frame
  • 8.5 Reply to ministerial statements
  • 8.6 Rulings by Speakers on ministerial statements
  • 8.7 Notice of intention to make a ministerial statement
• Parliamentary questions and answers
  • 9.1 Questions without notice
  • 9.2 Questions on Notice
  • 9.3 Time limits for answers to Questions on Notice
  • 9.4 Procedure for answering Questions on Notice
  • 9.5 Distribution of answers to Questions on Notice
  • 9.6 Electronic layout and format of answers to Questions on Notice
  • 9.7 Publication of answers to Questions on Notice in Hansard
• Petitions
  • 10.1 General rules
  • 10.2 Form
  • 10.3 Petitions to be lodged with the Clerk
  • 10.4 Time limits to lodge
  • 10.5 Custody
  • 10.6 Action by the Clerk
  • 10.7 Ministerial response
• Subordinate legislation
  • 11.1 General
  • 11.2 Time frame for tabling
  • 11.3 Procedures for tabling
  • 11.4 Notification of tabling
  • 11.5 Disallowance of subordinate legislation
  • 11.6 Debate of disallowance motion
  • 11.7 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee
• Revocations
  • 12.1 General
  • 12.2 Ministerial Notice of Motion and tabling of proposals
  • 12.3 Resumption of debate on proposal - perusal of notice required
  • 12.4 Debate on proposals
• Tabling of parliamentary papers
  • 13.1 Categories of papers
  • 13.2 Tabling of reports and other papers by Ministers
  • 13.3 Copies of reports to be supplied to the Bills and Papers Office
  • 13.4 Security of copies of reports and papers
  • 13.5 Size and format of reports
  • 13.6 Errors in tabled papers
  • 13.7 Tabling when Parliament is not sitting
• Tabling of annual reports
  • 14.1 Time frame for tabling
  • 14.2 Late tabling of an annual report
  • 14.3 Tabling annual reports when the Parliament is not sitting
• Role and function of parliamentary committees
  • 15.1 General
  • 15.2 Sub - committees
  • 15.3 Benefits of committees
• Parliamentary committees - creation, operation and dissolution
  • 16.1 How committees are created
  • 16.2 Membership and establishment
  • 16.3 Dissolution
  • 16.4 Jurisdiction
  • 16.5 Public operation
  • 16.6 Typical inquiry process
• Current committees and their role
  • 17.1 Current committees
  • 17.2 Members' Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee (MEPPC)
  • 17.3 Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee (LCARC)
  • 17.4 Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
  • 17.5 Public Works Committee (PWC)
  • 17.6 Scrutiny of Legislation Committee (SLC)
  • 17.7 Parliamentary Criminal Justice Committee (PCJC)
  • 17.8 Travelsafe Committee (TSAFE)
  • 17.9 Standing Orders Committee
  • 17.10 Estimates committees
• Ministerial responses to committee recommendations
  • 18.1 Requirement on Ministers to respond
  • 18.2 Content of response
  • 18.3 Tabling of a response
• Modern financial process - estimates committees process
  • 19.1 Constitutional and legal background
  • 19.2 Overview of estimates process
  • 19.3 Establishment and membership of estimates committees
  • 19.4 Method of operation
  • 19.5 Matters considered
  • 19.6 Questions on Notice
  • 19.7 Order of hearing departments
  • 19.8 Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officers and the Research Director
  • 19.9 Time of hearings
  • 19.10 Lists of witnesses
• 19.11 Documents provided by witnesses
• 19.12 Venue
• 19.13 In camera hearings
• 19.14 Scope of questions (admissibility)
• 19.15 Questions/answers
• 19.16 Broadcasting of proceedings
• 19.17 Material tabled at hearings
• 19.18 Confidential documents
• 19.19 Authorisation to publish documents
• 19.20 Questions taken on notice
• 19.21 Record of questions taken on notice
• 19.22 Distribution and correction of Hansard
• 19.23 Tabling of estimates committee reports in the Legislative Assembly
• 19.24 Distribution of report
• 19.25 Debate of reports
• 19.26 Passing the budget
• Relationship between Parliament and certain statutory officers
  • 20.1 Auditor - General
  • 20.2 Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations
  • 20.3 Parliamentary Criminal Justice Commissioner
  • 21.0 Public officers and Parliament
  • 21.1 Obligations on public servants
  • 21.2 Protection to witnesses
  • 22.0 Parliamentary privilege and contempt
  • 22.1 Privileges of the Legislative Assembly
  • 22.2 Contempt
  • 23.0 Matters relating to Members of Parliament
  • 23.1 Salaries
  • 23.2 Other entitlements
  • 23.3 Office support
  • 23.4 Restrictions on Members dealing with the Government
  • 24.0 Enquiries
• Glossary

Last reviewed: 17 July, 2009

Last updated: 22 July, 2009

^ to top