Parliamentary Procedure

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE WITNESSES

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (14:01): I have a point of order, Mr Speaker. I rise on standing order 335 which deals with the powers of a committee to send for persons and records, and standing order 336 which provides that the chairman of a select committee directs the secretary to summon the witnesses to be examined before the committee.

This morning, at the Public Works Committee, which met at 9.30am to hear evidence on the $16.5 million Wayville Railway Station project, summoned to attend were Mr Rod Hook, Chief Executive of DPTI, and Emma Thomas, Deputy Chief Executive, DPTI, along with Luigi Rossi, Executive Director, Strategic Public Transport Projects. As the witnesses presented, only Mr Luigi Rossi attended, in the company of a subordinate manager within the department, whose attendance had not been notified to committee members.

Committee members were advised that either the Premier or a minister, or someone else in authority, had directed that the senior witnesses, the most important witnesses, Mr Hook and Ms Thomas, were to attend a media event elsewhere, despite having been given notice and summoned to attend at the Public Works Committee. In the view of certain members of the committee the absence of these two important witnesses prejudiced the committee's consideration of the matter.

Standing order 383 makes it clear that witnesses are summoned to attend before the house by summons under the hand of the Speaker, or before a committee by summons under the hand of the secretary. I draw this to your attention, sir, and ask that you look into the matter and consider whether standing orders have been breached or whether the committee has been treated with contempt and, in doing so, advise what action you feel is appropriate.

The SPEAKER: Member for Waite, is the suggested course of action that I direct the Serjeant-at-Arms to seize Mr Hook and his companion? Is that your suggested course of action?

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: I am looking for your advice, sir, on what you think is appropriate to ensure that the respect and integrity of the committee process is observed.

The SPEAKER: I will give that my earnest consideration. I would need to get advice on whether it was a formal summons or whether it was merely an invitation to turn up to the committee. Obviously, there would be different consequences for the two.