Parliamentary Committees

Select Committee on the Effectiveness of the Current System of Parliamentary Committees

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. C. Bonaros:

That the report of the select committee be noted.

(Continued from 13 October 2021.)

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (22:51): I rise to support this report of the Select Committee on the Effectiveness of the Current System of Parliamentary Committees and members, noting the hour, will be very thankful that this will be mercifully short. Indeed, this committee on committees, as it was affectionately or indeed not so affectionately known, I believe has provided some recommendations for this parliament to function in a much more effective and efficient manner. I wholeheartedly support the recommendations and note that it was a unanimous and consensus decision. I thank the Chair, the Hon. Connie Bonaros, for her leadership and stewardship and all the other members.

I trust that this report, now noted, will not simply be filed away to never be referenced again but after tonight spur us to action into drafting and then effecting amendments to our current committee system through both the legislation and the practice of the parliament to support those with staffing as well as a portfolio approach based on some of the learnings of those more modern committee systems across the country that we learnt from. With that, I commend the report.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (22:53): I thank honourable members for their participation in the inquiry process and for their cooperation in that process, and also for their contributions made in this place. As the Hon. Tammy Franks has just outlined, I look forward to this report resulting in some effective changes in the way we deal with our parliamentary processes in this place very quickly. With those words, I thank honourable members again for their service on the committee and also their contributions in this place.

Motion carried.