Parliamentary Procedures Handbook

• Foreword
• 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 (SLC) 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 statements
  • 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 (SLC)
• Revocations
  • 12.1 General
  • 12.2 Ministerial Notice of Motion and tabling of proposals
  • 12.3 Resumption of debate on proposal - period 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 (SOC)
  • 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 committee 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
  • 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 Legistive 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 (the Ombudsman)
  • 20.3 Parliamentary Criminal Justice Commissioner
• Public officers and Parliament
  • 21.1 Obligations on public servants
  • 21.2 Protection to witnesses
• Parliamentary privilege and contempt
  • 22.1 Privileges of the Legislative Assembly
  • 22.2 Contempt
• 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
• Enquiries
• Glossary