Standing Orders / Senate Committees

Scope

The Standing Orders Committee considered proposals for reform of the conduct of the Senate’s business and proceedings. The committee was origionally established to recommend temporary and then permanent standing orders to govern the procedures of the Senate and between 1901 and 1903 acted as an ad hoc committee.

Chairs

President of the Senate

5 Jun 1901 – 21 Sep 1987

Sequence

Standing Orders

Procedure

1901

1.1764705882353

2.3529411764706

3.5294117647059

4.7058823529412

5.8823529411765

7.0588235294118

8.2352941176471

9.4117647058824

10.588235294118

11.764705882353

12.941176470588

14.117647058824

15.294117647059

16.470588235294

17.647058823529

18.823529411765

21.176470588235

22.352941176471

23.529411764706

24.705882352941

25.882352941176

27.058823529412

28.235294117647

29.411764705882

30.588235294118

31.764705882353

32.941176470588

34.117647058824

35.294117647059

36.470588235294

37.647058823529

38.823529411765

41.176470588235

42.352941176471

43.529411764706

44.705882352941

45.882352941176

47.058823529412

48.235294117647

49.411764705882

50.588235294118

51.764705882353

52.941176470588

54.117647058824

55.294117647059

56.470588235294

57.647058823529

58.823529411765

61.176470588235

62.352941176471

63.529411764706

64.705882352941

65.882352941176

67.058823529412

68.235294117647

69.411764705882

70.588235294118

71.764705882353

72.941176470588

74.117647058824

75.294117647059

76.470588235294

77.647058823529

78.823529411765

81.176470588235

82.352941176471

83.529411764706

84.705882352941

85.882352941176

87.058823529412

88.235294117647

89.411764705882

90.588235294118

91.764705882353

92.941176470588

94.117647058824

95.294117647059

96.470588235294

97.647058823529

98.823529411765

100

1987

One hundred years of Senate standing orders, 1903-2003.

Standing Orders Committee minutes, 7 June 1901.

Find out more


	Committee timeline - The establishment of the first Senate committee
	Committee timeline - First bill referred to a Senate standing committee
	Committee timeline - Standing Orders Committee report on standing committees
	Committee timeline - Senate calls for government responses to committee reports

Reports

Date tabled	Title	Read report
13 May 1987	Sixth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Meetings of the Public Accounts Committee during the sittings of the Senate Parliamentary paper number 169/1987
30 Mar 1987	Fifth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Consideration of government documents; Putting of amendments Parliamentary paper number 169/1987
20 Nov 1986	Fourth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Time limits for the adjournment debate; Notices of motion; Matters of public and urgency motions; Time limits on debate; Consideration of Standing Order Committee reports Parliamentary paper number 435/1986
1 May 1986	Third report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Private interests of senators Parliamentary paper number 435/1986
14 Nov 1985	Second report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Presentation of draft bills Parliamentary paper number 504/1985
15 Oct 1985	First report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): SO 406 – reading of speeches; SO 363 tabling of documents quoted by ministers; Pecuniary interests of senators Parliamentary paper number 504/1985
15 Jun 1984	Third report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): Pecuniary interests of senators; Incorporation of material in Hansard Parliamentary paper number 112/1984
20 Oct 1983	Second report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): SO 364 – tabling of documents quoted from in debate Parliamentary paper number 111/1983
6 Oct 1983	First report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): Meetings of the Public Accounts Committee during sittings of the Senate; Scrutiny of Bills committee; Access to Senate documents; SO 406 – reading of speeches Parliamentary paper number 117/1983
23 Nov 1982	Fifth report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Petitions Parliamentary paper number 313/1982
10 Nov 1982	Fourth report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Televising Senate proceedings Parliamentary paper number 274/1982
20 Apr 1982	Third report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Consideration of committee reports; Time limits for speeches; Petitions; Question time Parliamentary paper number 82/1982
11 Nov 1981	Second report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Urgency motions and matters of public importance; Transfer of notice of motion for disallowance; Seconding of motions and amendments; Committees meeting during the sitting of the Senate Parliamentary paper number 360/1981
15 Oct 1981	First report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Membership of the Standing Orders Committee; Deputy President of the Senate; Presentation and consideration of government reports Parliamentary paper number 361/1981
31 Mar 1980	Fifth report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Question time; Quotation of unparliamentary language in debate; Presentation of committee reports; Granting of leave; Estimates committees; Disorder in Senate committees; Televising Senate proceedings; Display of State Arms or insignia in the Chamber; Reflections upon the judiciary; Introduction of new business after 10.30pm (SO 68); Suspension of senators Parliamentary paper number 50/1980
2 May 1979	Fourth report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Transfer of notice of motion for disallowance; Estimates committees – seniority of witnesses; Government consideration of Senate committee reports; Precedence to government statements on Parliamentary committee reports; Urgency motion and discussion of matter of public importance; Committees – reference of bills; Proceedings on the report of an offence Parliamentary paper number 70/1979
30 May 1978	Third report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Committee memberships Parliamentary paper number 21/1978
3 May 1978	Second report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Estimates committees – staffing arrangements; Government consideration of Senate committee reports; SO 66a – precedence of motions for the disallowance of certain instruments; Selection of Bills Committee Parliamentary paper number 20/1978
2 Mar 1978	First report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Motion to debate matter of urgency; Petitions – conformity; SO 364 – tabling of quoted documents; Procedure in relation to taking note of papers; Estimates committees; Televising of public hearings of legislative and general purpose standing committees Parliamentary paper number 27/1978
22 Feb 1977	Second report of the fifty–seventh session (1976–77): Incorporating speeches in Hansard; Reading of speeches; Offensive statements about legislative bodies and members thereof (reflection); Questions without notice; Questions on notice; Motions, by leave, to take note of papers; Legislative and general purpose standing committees – incorporation in the standing orders; Estimates committees – incorporation in the standing orders; Attendance of Committee members’ staff at committee meetings Parliamentary paper number 2/1977
15 Feb 1977	First report of the fifty–seventh session (1976–77): Tabling of fifth edition of Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice (this report looks at issues of identifying original documents tabled, order for printing, and alterations to the printed from the tabled original) Parliamentary paper number 1/1977
4 Dec 1974	Third report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Publication of answers to questions on notice; Incorporation of speeches in Hansard; Speakers lists; Motion for adjournment to debate matter of urgency; Time limits to speeches on bills Parliamentary paper number 277/1974
28 Nov 1974	Second report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Questions directed to Chairman of committees; Calling for divisions; Duration of division and quorum bells; Suspension of standing orders to eliminate delay in passage of bills; Calling of committee meetings Parliamentary paper number 276/1974
19 Nov 1974	First report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Presentation of petitions Parliamentary paper number 275/1974
27 Oct 1972	Seventh report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Senate committees meeting after dissolution of the House of Representatives Parliamentary paper number 222/1972
12 Oct 1972	Sixth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Urgency motions; Disallowance motions Parliamentary paper number 178/1972
20 Sep 1972	Fifth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): In camera evidence before estimates committees Parliamentary paper number 134/1972
17 Aug 1971	Fourth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Committee memberships; Publications Committee; Disallowance motions; Urgency motions; Questions on notice; Committee of the whole – requests; Presentation of committee reports out of session; Rights of witnesses; Broadcasting committee hearings; Time limits on debate; Suspension of Standing Orders to eliminate delay in passage of bills Parliamentary paper number 111/1971
3 Jun 1970	Third report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Publications committee (new SO 36) Parliamentary paper number 85/1970
17 Mar 1970	Second report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Standing committees Parliamentary paper number 2/1970
3 Mar 1970	First report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Disclosure of unpublished evidence of select committees (SO 308) Parliamentary paper number 1/1970
21 May 1969	Second report of the fifty–first session (1968–69): Questions on notice; Anticipation of debate; Disclosure of select committee evidence Parliamentary paper number 37/1969
5 Mar 1969	First report of the fifty–first session (1968–69): Questions on notice Parliamentary paper number 1/1969
25 Nov 1965	First report of the forty–ninth session (1964–66): Amendments to standing orders Parliamentary paper number 244/1965
16 Oct 1953	First report of the thirty–eighth session (1951–53): Opening of Parliament Parliamentary paper number S2/1953
20 Oct 1938	First report of the twenty–ninth session (1937–40): Urgency motions Parliamentary paper number S2/1938
26 Aug 1937	First report of the twenty–eighth session (1937): Amendments to standing orders: 13, 36a, 64, 190, 246, 284, 291, 357, 382, 407, 422, Parliamentary paper number S1/1937
31 Jul 1934	First report of the twenty–sixth session (1932–34): Election of President; Reference of bills to committees; Debate on the first and second reading stages of bills that the Senate cannot amend Parliamentary paper number S3/1934
24 Jul 1931	First report of the twenty–fifth session (1929–31): Establishment of the Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Reference of bills to committees Parliamentary paper number S5/1931
11 Feb 1926	First report of the twenty–third session (1926–28): Proposed new standing order 407B – limitation of debate on urgent bills Parliamentary paper number S1/1926
4 Oct 1922	First report of the nineteenth session (1922): Vacation of the Office of the President; Election of the President; Temporary Chairmen; Meeting of the Senate; Quorum; Business of the Senate; Voting; Calling of senators; Records of proceedings and divisions; Time limits to speeches Parliamentary paper number S2/1922
7 Aug 1919	Second report of the seventeenth session (1917–19): Time limits for speeches Parliamentary paper number S5/1919
16 Jun 1919	First report of the seventeenth session (1917–19): Proposed new standing order 416a Parliamentary paper number S4/1919
10 Jun 1914	First report of the fourteenth session (1914): Quorum; Business interrupted by sessional order; Questions on notice; Notices of motion; Standing committees: meeting during the sittings of Senate (new SO 38A); Voting; Payment of certain witnesses before committees; Receipt of messages from the House of Representatives; (Language changes and renumbering) Parliamentary paper number S1/1914
24 Nov 1910	Adoption of new standing order – A motion disallowing a regulation shall take precedence (Journal No. 64 24 Nov 1910)
24 Nov 1910	First report of the tenth session (1910): Disallowance motions having precedence over other business
15 Oct 1908	First report of the eighth session (1908): Opening of Parliament – address–in–reply; Term of office of the Office of the President; Chairman of Committees; Standing committees; Quorum at the commencement of sitting; Bills, including: introduction, committal, certificates, requests, transmission to the House of Representatives; Debate: relevance; Objection to ruling of the President Parliamentary paper number S1/1908
14 Dec 1905	Second report of the fourth session (1905): Instructions to committees of the whole Parliamentary paper number S7/1905
22 Nov 1905	First report of the fourth session (1905): Adjournment debate; Committee of the whole
18 Aug 1905	Report of the Senate and House of Representatives Standing Orders Committees: Resumption of proceedings on lapsed bills Parliamentary paper number S2/1905
23 Nov 1904	Second report of the third session (1904): Report on the Parliamentary Evidence Bill: powers of the Parliament to call for witnesses and evidence Parliamentary paper number S6/1904
21 Apr 1904	First report of the third session (1904): Powers of the President to make rulings and/or interpret the Standing Orders where any scenario may arise that present them inoperable; Records of rulings by the President Parliamentary paper number S2/1904
23 Jul 1903	Second report of the second session (1903): Proposed standing orders Parliamentary paper number S3/1903
4 Jun 1903	First report of the second session (1903): Proceedings on bills which the Senate may not amend; Appointment of Committee of Disputed Returns and Qualifications Parliamentary paper number S1/1903
26 Aug 1902	Memorandum re procedure on requests on Bills: Procedure on bills which the Senate may not amend
9 Oct 1901	Third report of the first session (1901–02): The Standing Orders Committee’s consideration of draft Standing Orders and recommendations for adoption of revised Senate Standing Orders Parliamentary paper number L7/1901
20 Jun 1901	Second report of the first session (1901–02): Prayers; Chairman of Committees; Quorum of the Standing Orders Committee Parliamentary paper number L1/1901
6 Jun 1901	First report of the first session (1901–02): The temporary adoption by the Senate of Standing Orders of the House of Assembly of South Australia, with alterations