3.3 Cabinet Timetable

The Cabinet Secretary maintains an ongoing whole-of-government Cabinet timetable which indicates proposed Cabinet business for all portfolios for the next six month period. This timetable is used as a primary tool in the coordination of government policy, programming the passage of legislation through the Legislative Assembly, and in the general management of the flow of Cabinet business.

Ministers, through their CLLO, are required to maintain accurate timetables for their proposed Cabinet business for the next six month period, and to ensure this information is accessible to the Cabinet Secretary via the TRIM Cabinet Information System (TCIS).  Timetable information recorded on TCIS must be current at all times.

Each CLLO is to ensure that all Cabinet timetable information made available to the Cabinet Secretary in relation to their portfolio or department has first been authorised by their Minister.

Care is to be taken to ensure that proposed Cabinet dates for consideration of submissions are realistic and take into account impacting timeframes and processes such as:

• policy development processes
• intra-government and external consultation requirements
• lodgement timeframes and processes of Cabinet submissions as prescribed in the Queensland Cabinet Handbook
• legislation drafting processes as prescribed in the Queensland Legislation Handbook
• legislation scheduling in the Legislative Assembly coordinated by the Leader of the House.

Once a matter is listed on the forward timetable in TCIS, the relevant CLLO must advise the Cabinet Secretary of any change in proposed timing or withdrawal of the submission from the forward timetable as soon as possible.