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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-27 Daily Xml
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PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES (MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES) AMENDMENT BILL

Introduction and First Reading

Received from the Legislative Council and read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Tourism) (15:54): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading explanation inserted in Hansard without my reading it.

Leave granted.

The Bill amends the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991 to increase the number of members of two of the standing committees established by that Act. The Bill increases the membership of the Social Development Committee from six members to eight. It also increases the number of members of the Natural Resources Committee from seven to nine.

The Social Development Committee currently has six members—three from each House. Its functions are to inquire into a range of health, welfare, education, recreation and occupation-related matters referred to it by either House, by the Governor or of its own motion. The Committee has previously reported on a range of matters including gambling, prostitution, the South Australian Certificate of Education, supported accommodation, fast foods and obesity, bogus health practitioners, surrogacy and rural poverty.

The Social Development Committee also has review and inquiry functions under other Acts, including the Statutes Amendment (Recidivist Young Offenders and Youth Parole Board) Act 2009 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2003.

In respect of the Natural Resources Committee, section 15K(2) of the Act currently says: 'four members of the Committee must be members of the House of Assembly … and three must be members of the Legislative Council'. The Committee is required by section 15L 'to take an interest in and keep under review' matters relating to the protection, use, management, enhancement, development and improvement of the natural resources of the State. It is further charged with a number of functions specifically relating to the River Murray. Other Acts impose additional functions on the Natural Resources Committee, the best-known being the consideration of levy proposals under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.

The Government thinks that both Committees would benefit from an increase in membership. While each appointment to a Committee is of course a matter for the appointing House, the Government expects that an increase in the number of members will correspondingly increase each Committee’s diversity and broaden the range of experience the members bring to its inquiries. It is particularly important that these Committees be able to ascertain how the matters into which they are inquiring affect all South Australians, and to consider the views and needs of a wide range of people and groups. This ability will be enhanced by the Committees themselves having a varied membership.

The Bill increases the membership of these two Committees only for the life of the current Parliament. We do not know whether membership of later Parliaments will continue to be as diverse as it is now.

I commend the Bill to the House.

Explanation of Clauses

Part 1—Preliminary

1—Short title

2—Amendment provisions

These clauses are formal.

Part 2—Amendment of Parliamentary Committees Act 1991

3—Amendment of section 14—Membership of Committee

The number of members constituting the Social Development Committee is to be altered from 6 members to 8 for the term of the 52nd Parliament.

4—Amendment of section 15K—Membership of Committee

The number of members constituting the Natural Resources Committee is to be altered from 7 members to 9 for the term of the 52nd Parliament.

5—Amendment of section 24—Procedure at meetings

This is a consequential amendment, and will provide that the quorum of a Committee consisting of 8 or 9 members will be 5 members.

Standing Orders Suspension

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Tourism) (15:54): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable this bill to pass through all stages without delay.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have counted the house and, as an absolute majority of members is not present, ring the bells.

An absolute majority of the whole number of members being present:

Motion carried.

Second Reading

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:57): This matter that is presented to us went through the other place last evening, I think, and is a result of some negotiations that have taken place. The standing committees of the parliament, I have always thought in my almost 13 years here, have provided one of the best opportunities for members of this place to get their teeth into the real issues that concern the citizens of this state. There is a range of committees which concentrate on various policy areas.

With the recent election and addition to the other place of a member from the Dignity for Disability Party, I think it was right and proper that both the government and the opposition considered that it would be appropriate to accommodate that new member, the Hon. Kelly Vincent, to be a member of the Social Development Committee, that being a policy area that, obviously, is very near and dear to her and the people whom she represents.

The reality is that the two major parties were also concerned that they be represented from both houses on that particular committee. I think it has been a sensible set of negotiations to deliver the outcome that we have before us today, that is, that we would expand the size of the committee to accommodate that member and, of course, another member will be provided to the committee from the lower house.

It also came to the attention of both parties, with the election of the new member for Mount Gambier in particular, but also some other Independents in the lower house, that there was a strong desire, particularly from the newly-elected member for Mount Gambier to serve on the Natural Resources Management Committee.

Again, both the opposition and the government were desirous to ensure that they had a member in both houses on that committee as well to represent the interests of the people who are represented by those two major parties. The opposition was most keen that the new member for Stuart, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, was also representing the opposition on that committee and, once again, sensibly, the opposition and the government negotiated to the point where it was deemed desirable to increase the membership of that committee to accommodate that.

As we all know, with the vagaries of the electoral cycle, the bill that we have before us not only provides for an increase in the number of those two committees to provide for those events that occurred at the most recent election but it also recognises that circumstances may well change post the next election and, as a consequence of that, in both instances a sunset clause is provided so that the committees at the end of this parliamentary term will revert back to their previous status with regard to the membership and the numbers of members.

As I said, I think in both instances it is a very sensible outcome to accommodate the new parliament in both houses and the new membership of both houses and to allow newly-elected members and members returning here to represent the interests of the people of South Australia in those committees, and I commend the bill to the house.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Tourism) (16:03): I would particularly like to thank the honourable member for MacKillop for his very generous, courteous and cooperative remarks. That approach is very much welcomed by me and I am sure by all members of the parliament. For my part, it is my sincere wish that in the future, should I have the good fortune to bring any other bills to this chamber, the honourable member will get up and make similarly cooperative and endorsing remarks and that it will be dealt with as expeditiously as this matter appears likely to be.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sure he will try to validate you in every way possible.

Bill read a second time and taken through its remaining stages.

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