The Procedure Committee evaluates and recommends improvements to the procedures of the Senate, as referred to it by the Senate or President of the Senate.
In 2010 the Procedure Committee considered arrangements for the opening of Parliament. In June 2010 the Senate resolved that the declaration of the opening of Parliament should be preceded by an Indigenous Welcome to Country ceremony. DPS Auspic.
Larissa Waters breastfeeds her baby Alia Joy in the Senate Chamber, 22 June 2017. In 2003 and 2016 the Senate amended its standing orders to allow senators to breastfeed or briefly care for infants in the Senate chamber. DPS Auspic.
There are no rules in the Senate on the dress of senators. In its 2017 report, the Procedure Committee confirmed the practice that choice of dress be left to the 'good judgement' of senators and incorporated the President's request that in deciding, senators consider 'the respect and dignity of the Senate'. Portrait of Senator Pat Dodson, DPS Auspic.
Members of the Procedure Committee, 26 November 2019. L-R: Senators Katy Gallagher, Dean Smith and Scott Ryan, Richard Pye [Committee Secretary] and Senators Jonathon Duniam, Sue Lines [Chair], Rachel Siewert and Catryna Bilyk.
Members of the Procedure Committee at work, Parliament House, 26 November 2019.
Reports
Date tabled
Title
Read report
First report of 2025: Motions to take note of answers
Progress report: Standing order changes relating to the Set the standard report and motions to take note of answers (presented out of session on 31 March 2025)
Second report of 2023: Matters of public importance and urgency motions; Use of cultural artefacts in debate; Set the Standard – Recommendation no. 10
First report of 2023: Confidential review of documents subject to PII claims (presented out of session on 31 March 2023)
First report of 2022: Recording of pairs (presented out of session on 15 February 2022)
Parliamentary paper number 35/2022
Second report of 2021: Temporary orders on notices and formal motions
Parliamentary paper number 167/2021
First report of 2021: Remote participation in Senate proceedings
Parliamentary paper number 123/2021
Second report of 2020: COVID-19 and the Senate
Parliamentary paper number 248/2020
First report of 2020: Routine of business; Remote participation in Senate proceedings (presented out of session on 21 August 2020)
Parliamentary paper number 179/2020
Third report of 2019: Routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 521/2019
Second report of 2019: Closing the Gap statement; Indigenous Australian languages
Parliamentary paper number 383/2019
First report of 2019: Parliamentary Code of Conduct; Formal business; Closing the Gap statement; Indigenous Australian languages
Parliamentary paper number 157/2019
Fourth report of 2018: Suspension motions and formal business
Parliamentary paper number 563/2018
Third report of 2018: Disorder outside formal proceedings
Parliamentary paper number 292/2018
Second report of 2018: Proposal to replace the parliamentary prayer
Parliamentary paper number 289/2018
Progress report: Proposal to replace the parliamentary prayer with an invitation to prayer or reflection (presented out of session on 7 September 2018)
Parliamentary paper number 289/2018
First report of 2018: Hours of meeting and routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 210/2018
First report 2017:Hours of meeting&routine of business;Tracking PII claims;Absence of senator during a vote due to misadventure;Mode of dress for senators&possible’time out’rule;Parliamentary Code for respecting cultural diversity&proposal to amend SO193
Parliamentary paper number 566/2017
First report of 2016: Photography in the chamber; Ministerial statements; Caring for infants
Parliamentary paper number 261/2016
Third report of 2015: Ministerial statements; Publications Committee
Parliamentary paper number 435/2015
Second report of 2015: Temporary orders relating to the routine of business and consideration of private senators' bills; Third party arbitration of public interest immunity claims
Parliamentary paper number 188/2015
First report of 2015:Appropriations & Staffing C'tee;Cross-bench committee membership,chairing & order of speakers;Powers of Chair in relation to disorder;Language of matters raised under SO75;Changes to standing & other orders relating to estimates h'ngs
Parliamentary paper number 73/2015
Third report of 2014: Routine of business - proposals for discussion; Photography in the Senate Chamber; Seating for members of the House of Representatives on the floor of the Senate Chamber (presented out of session on 9 September 2014)
Parliamentary paper number 176/2014
Second report of 2014: Routine of business - proposals for discussion
Parliamentary paper number 142/2014
First report of 2014: Temporary orders; Matters referred by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Question Time; Routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 137/2014
Second report of 2013: Parliamentary privilege: republication of Hansard extracts; Speaking time in the open-ended adjournment debate; Removal of gender-specific language in standing orders; Routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 474/2013
First report of 2013: Electronic petitions; Routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 43/2013
First report of 2012: Consideration of private senators' bills; Routine of business; Consideration of non-controversial legislation; Raising matters of privilege; Changes to the printed Notice Paper and related matters
Parliamentary paper number 144/2012
Second report of 2011: Operation of standing order 55(2) to (5); Consideration of private senators' bills; Procedures for dealing with formal motions; Use of general business time on Thursdays; Consideration of government documents
Parliamentary paper number 158/2011
First report of 2011: Question time - temporary order
Parliamentary paper number 59/2011
Fourth report of 2010: Consideration of Private Senators' Bills
Parliamentary paper number 305/2010
Third report of 2010: Question time - temporary order; Correction of divisions after misadventure; Procedure for consideration of private senators' bills
Parliamentary paper number 203/2010
Second report of 2010: Arrangements for the opening of Parliament and Rules for questions under standing order 73
Parliamentary paper number 131/2010
First report of 2010: Private senators' bills— consideration, Bills relying on delegated legislation and Arrangements for the opening of Parliament (presented out of session on 13 April 2010)
Parliamentary paper number 81/2010
Fourth report of 2009
Parliamentary paper number 320/2009
Committee proceedings and public interest immunity claims: order of the Senate of 13 May 2009 Senators caring for an infant: standing order 175: Third report of 2009
Parliamentary paper number 168/2009
Second report of 2009: The Senate Committee System (presented out of session on 16 April 2009)
Parliamentary paper number 62/2009
Restructuring question time; Legislative and general purpose standing committees; Temporary orders: First report of 2009
Parliamentary paper number 35/2009
Restructuring question time: Third report of 2008
Parliamentary paper number 500/2008
Questions to chairs of committees and other senators: Second report of 2008
Parliamentary paper number 353/2008
Restructuring question time; Reference of bills to committees; Questions to chairs of committees; Deputy chairs of committees; Leave to make statements: First report of 2008
Parliamentary paper number 334/2008
Restructuring the committee system: First report of 2006
Parliamentary paper number 149/2006
Declaration of interests: registration of senators' share tradings; Unanswered questions and orders for documents: proposed amendments of SOs; Repeated motions for suspension of SOs: ruling of the President of 14.9.05 Second report (presented 28.10.2005)
Parliamentary paper number 280/2005
Storage of Senate documents; Unauthorised disclosure of committee proceedings: First report of 2005 (presented out of session on 20 September 2005)
Parliamentary paper number 225/2005
First report of 2004: Divisions on Thursdays; Consideration of government documents; Formal motions
Parliamentary paper number 82/2004
Third report of 2003: Joint meetings to receive addresses by foreign heads of state; Reference of Tax Expenditures Statement to estimates hearings
Parliamentary paper number 436/2003
Second report of 2003: Publication of questions on notice and answers: protection by parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary paper number 176/2003
First report of 2003: Time of meeting on Tuesday; Senators breastfeeding infants; Deadline for receipt of bills; Presentation of the budget; Committee meetings during adjournment debate; Formal Motions (presented out of session on 17 March 2003)
Parliamentary paper number 102/2003
Second report of 2002: Chairs and quorums in committees; Adjournment debate on Tuesdays
Parliamentary paper number 579/2002
First report of 2002: Adjournment debate; Unanswered questions on notice
Parliamentary paper number 300/2002
Second report of 2000: Estimates hearings: Supplementary hearings on additional estimates and parliamentary secretaries
Parliamentary paper number 440/2000
First report of 2000: Consideration of Auditor–General’s reports
Parliamentary paper number 72/2000
Second report of 1999: Use of motions to take note of answers; Putting of non–government amendments under a limitation of time; Reports on unproclaimed legislation; Estimates hearings: Matters raised by the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee; Registration of senators’ interests
Parliamentary paper number 360/1999
First report of 1999: Use of unpublished documents in dissenting reports; Appearance of private witnesses with departmental officers; Notices of motion, postponements and formal motions; Divisions
Parliamentary paper number 57/1999
First report of 1998: Presentation of documents by the President; Adjournment debate on Mondays; Membership of references committees
Parliamentary paper number 176/1998
Second report of 1997: Proposed amendment of standing order 26 to allow estimates hearings in camera; Declaration of interests; Treatment of Ombudsman’s reports; Consideration of government documents on Thursdays; Formal motions; Prayer
Parliamentary paper number 460/1997
First report of 1997: Conduct of estimates hearings; Points of order during divisions; Presentation of petitions
Parliamentary paper number 22/1997
First report of 1996: Section 53 of the Constitution; Incorporation into the standing orders of continuing and sessional orders
Parliamentary paper number 194/1996
Third report of 1995: Reference of petitions to committees; Publication of the Notice Paper; Review of new sitting times and routine of business adopted in February 1994
Parliamentary paper number 477/1995
Second report of 1995: Allocation of questions at question time; Electronic meetings of committees; Committees: quorums and participating members
Parliamentary paper number 284/1995
First report of 1995: Motions to take note of answers: the call in debate; Committee matters; Estimates hearings: matters raised by the Environment; Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee; Disclosure of minority reports to other members of a committee; Review of sitting times and routine of business
Parliamentary paper number 171/1995
Second report of 1994: Presentation of documents and debate by leave; Questions time: relevance of answers; Inclusion of disallowed questions in Hansard; Equally divided votes
Parliamentary paper number 223/1994
First report of 1994: Senate committee system
Parliamentary paper number 146/1994
Third report of 1993: Presentation of petitions by leave; Substitute members on committees; Notice of matters to be raised at supplementary hearings of estimates committees
Parliamentary paper number 450/1993
Second report of 1993: Times of sitting and order of business; Extension of house monitoring system
Parliamentary paper number 212/1993
First report of 1993: Motions for suspension of Standing Orders—Rulings by Mr President
Parliamentary paper number 158/1993
Third report of 1992: Production of documents to the Senate by ministers and the Freedom of Information Act; Estimates and Appropriation Bills: scope of questioning and debate; Vacation of the office of the President; Unparliamentary language; Question time
Parliamentary paper number 510/1992
Second report of 1992: Consideration of government documents: proposed amendment of SO 61; Attendance of other senators at committee meetings: proposed amendment of SO 27
Parliamentary paper number 542/1992
First report of 1992: Estimates committees and appropriation bills; Consideration of government documents; Proceedings on urgent bills; Presentation of committee reports; Attendance of other senators at committee meetings; Titles of office–holders
Parliamentary paper number 527/1992
Discussion Paper: Estimates Committees and Appropriation Bills
Parliamentary paper number 103/1993
Second report of 1991: Presentation of committee reports; Estimates committees; Deputy–Chairmen of standing committees; Calling of senators in debate; Restoration of bills to the Notice Paper; Government responses to committee reports
Parliamentary paper number 466/1991
First report of 1991: Powers of parliamentary secretaries
Parliamentary paper number 462/1991
Second report of 1990: Electronic voting; Disclosure of in camera evidence; Question time; Televising and personal explanations; Estimates committee reports; Video recordings of proceedings; Government documents presented to the Senate; Tabling of ministerial statements; Resolutions and orders of the Senate
Parliamentary paper number 435/1990
First report of 1990: Conditions governing television broadcasting of Senate proceedings; Procedure for presentation of committee reports
Parliamentary paper number 436/1990
Standing Orders (Revised), dated 1 November 1989, together with explanatory notes
Fourth report of the sixty–third session (1987–89): Notices of motion
Parliamentary paper number 463/1989
Third report of the sixty–third session (1987–89): Disclosure of in camera evidence; Written questions to departments prior to the hearings of estimates committees; Broadcasting of committee hearings
Parliamentary paper number 462/1989
Review of Standing Orders - Submission from the Clerk of the Senate, 16 May 1988
Revised Standing Orders, together with schedule
Second report of the sixty–third session (1987–89): Motions for suspension of standing orders – limitation of debate; Written questions to departments prior to the hearings of estimates committees
Parliamentary paper number 215/1987
First report of the sixty–third session (1987–89): Publication of tabled papers
Parliamentary paper number 215/1987
![Members of the Procedure Committee, 26 November 2019. L-R: Senators Katy Gallagher, Dean Smith and Scott Ryan, Richard Pye [Committee Secretary] and Senators Jonathon Duniam, Sue Lines [Chair], Rachel Siewert and Catryna Bilyk.](/assets/committees/body-images/c010/C010-20190510-07-Senate-Procedures.jpg)
