4.0 Procedures

Cabinet comprises Ministers representing all portfolios in government. The coordination of Cabinet business with portfolios is a difficult task which can only be undertaken effectively if there is a high degree of rigour in Cabinet procedure.

Procedures have been highly developed over many years of Cabinet operation to provide a standardised timed approach to the many elements of Cabinet business, extending from Cabinet business planning mechanisms, lodgement of business, the various elements of meeting administration, to access to Cabinet information.

These procedures serve a number of important purposes such as:

• ensuring that Cabinet proposals take a coordinated approach across government, accord with government policy, and that Cabinet members are informed so that high quality Cabinet deliberations can occur;
• ensuring that Cabinet business is administered in a coordinated, systematic and planned manner that facilitates effective and efficient Cabinet functioning;
• ensuring a regular Cabinet business cycle is clearly understood and able to be met by portfolios; and
• providing a high level of security for Cabinet information from the present and past governments.

The Premier and Cabinet may amend or vary these procedures in accordance with the changing needs of Cabinet or in relation to the merits of a particular emergent issue.

The procedures and timelines supporting the Cabinet process, as discussed in this Chapter, are relatively complex but cyclical in nature. To assist in the understanding of the various procedures, a table representing the Cabinet cycle and showing the actions to be undertaken and their timing in relation to a Cabinet meeting, appears in Chapter 4.16 "Cabinet Cycle: Procedural Timelines". Each procedure has been referenced to the appropriate Chapter of the Handbook where detailed explanation is given.

• 4.1 Notification of Cabinet Meetings
• 4.2 Cabinet Timetable
• 4.3 Determination of the business list for Cabinet meetings
• 4.4 Lodgement process for Cabinet submissions
• 4.5 Lodgement process for Cabinet Committee submissions
• 4.6 Lodgement letter
• 4.7 Number of copies to be lodged
• 4.8 Oral Cabinet submissions
• 4.9 Circulation of Cabinet submissions and "The Cabinet bag"
• 4.10 Cabinet Agenda
• 4.11 Collective Cabinet Minutes
• 4.12 Cabinet decisions
• 4.13 Briefing information on Cabinet submissions
• 4.14 Security and management of Cabinet information
• 4.15 Access to Cabinet documents
• 4.16 Cabinet cycle: Procedural timelines
• 4.17 Matters to Note Template

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