Legislative Assembly
Parliament of
Fact Sheet 18
Documents Tabled in the Legislative
Assembly
Documents Tabled in the Legislative Assembly
One of the main roles of
Parliament is to debate and pass bills which ultimately become Acts of
Parliament. Apart from bills there are
many other documents which are formally presented to Parliament. Presenting a document to Parliament is called
‘tabling’ and is a method of ensuring information is available to members of
Parliament and the public.
Various documents are tabled every sitting day in the
House as part of formal business, at the start of the day’s proceedings. These
take the form of documents and reports and are listed in the Votes and Proceedings, the formal
minutes of the Legislative Assembly.
All documents and reports which are tabled in the
Assembly become the Department’s ‘Original Papers’. These are archived and stored in the
Department’s archive areas.
As soon as a document is tabled it is publicly
available, either for inspection or, if stocks permit, copies are available
from the Procedure Office.
Below is an explanation of the various documents and
reports that are tabled in the Legislative Assembly. Sample extracts from the Votes and Proceedings are also provided.
Further
Information:
·
Fact Sheet 1: A
Typical Sitting Day in the House
·
Fact Sheet 35: Votes
and Proceedings
Types
of documents tabled
Broadly speaking reports and documents that are tabled
take four main categories:
(1) Reports
(a) Tabled
under Acts of Parliament (the most common type)
(b) Parliamentary
Committee Reports
(c) Parliamentary
Papers
(d) By
Command of the Governor
(e) By leave of the House
(2)
Miscellaneous
Documents
These include statutory rules, notices of
amendments to planning schemes, notices and orders in council relating to
specific Acts and proclamations fixing commencement dates for Acts.
(3) Petitions
(4) Statements
of Compatibility
Statements tabled under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
Act 2006.
(1) Reports
(a) Tabled under Acts of
Parliament
Most government departments and agencies [eg hospitals, universities] are required by various Acts of Parliament to table
annual reports. Such reports inform members and the public of the activities
and financial affairs of the organisation for the preceding 12 months.
These reports are sent to the Clerk of the Legislative
Assembly who tables them in the House.
Example
record of reports tabled under Acts of Parliament
|
DOCUMENTS TABLED UNDER ACTS OF PARLIAMENT — The Clerk tabled the following documents in accordance with Acts of Parliament: Australian Centre for the Moving Image — Report 2005–06
Intellectual Disability Review Panel — Report 2005–06 Melbourne Water Corporation — Report 2005–06 Royal Children’s Hospital —
Report 2005–06 |
(b) Parliamentary Committee Reports
Parliament forms joint investigatory committees that examine and report
on particular issues of interest on behalf of Parliament. These committees
obtain information from the public, public servants and representatives of
business and other organisations. This
allows committee members to become better informed and to promote public
interest and debate on an issue.
Committees
then prepare reports which are presented to the House by the Chair or a member
of that particular committee.
Further
Information:
·
Fact Sheet 27: Parliamentary Committees
Example
record of parliamentary committee reports
|
EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMITTEE — Mr Herbert, Chair, presented a report from the Education and Training Committee on the Inquiry into the Impact of the High Levels of Unmet Demand for Places in Higher Education Institutions in Victoria, together with appendices, extracts from proceedings, minority report and minutes of evidence. Ordered to be tabled and report, appendices, extracts from proceedings and minority report printed. LAW REFORM COMMITTEE —
Mr Hudson, Chair, presented a report from the Law Reform Committee on
the Inquiry into the Administration of Justice Offences, together with
appendices and minutes of evidence. Ordered to be tabled and report and appendices printed. ROAD SAFETY COMMITTEE — Dr Harkness presented a report from the Road Safety Committee on the Inquiry into Driver Distraction, together with appendices and minutes of evidence. Ordered to
be tabled and the report and appendices printed. |
(c) Parliamentary
Papers
Some documents which are tabled are also ordered to be
printed as Parliamentary Papers.
These are reports which Parliament has ‘ordered to be
printed’. This does not mean that
Parliament organises the physical printing of the report but that Parliament is
the authority for its publication.
Some reports are automatically accepted as Parliamentary
Papers while others require prior written approval from the Speaker.
When the report becomes a Parliamentary Paper it
attracts absolute parliamentary privilege.
That means that no legal action can be taken in relation to the contents
of the report.
Examples of Parliamentary Papers are reports from Boards of Inquiry,
Royal Commissions, parliamentary committees, the Ombudsman and the
Auditor-General.
Example
record of Parliamentary Papers
|
DOCUMENTS TABLED UNDER ACTS OF PARLIAMENT — The Clerk tabled the following documents in accordance with Acts of Parliament: Auditor-General — Performance Audit Report
— Making Travel Safer: Director, Police Integrity — Past Patterns — Future Directions: Victoria Police and the problem of corruption and serious misconduct — Ordered to be printed Ombudsman — Report on the investigation into parking infringement notices issued by Melbourne City Council — Ordered to be printed Members of Parliament (Register of
Interests) Act 1978 — Summary of Variations Notified between |
(d) By
Command of the Governor
Documents can be tabled by command of the Governor. These are usually reports of Royal
Commissions and Boards of Inquiry (to which the Governor has given terms of
reference with orders to report), Supreme Court Judges, County Court Judges and
the Magistrates’ Court. These Courts are required by their respective Acts to
report to the Governor. These reports
are presented to the House by one of the government ministers.
Example
record of a Command Paper
|
PAPER BY COMMAND OF THE GOVERNOR
— Mr Hulls presented by Command of the Governor: Supreme Court Judges — Report 2004–05 — Ordered to be
tabled |
(e) By
leave of the House
Even if a report or document is not required to be
tabled by an Act of Parliament, it is still possible for it to be tabled
providing the House agrees.
A minister must ask for leave (permission) of the
House to present a document. After the
motion has been agreed to the document becomes publicly available.
Example record of a document tabled by leave
of the House
|
DRUG PREVENTION COUNCIL — Motion made, by leave, and question — That the Report from the Premier's Drug Prevention Council for the year 2005–06 be tabled (Mr Bracks) — put and agreed to. |
(2) Miscellaneous Documents
These include statutory rules (regulations or similar
rules made under the authority of an Act), notices of amendments to planning
schemes in
Example record of miscellaneous
documents
|
Environment
Protection Act 1970 — Order declaring Waste Management Policy (Used Packaging
Materials) (Government Gazette S94, Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 — Notice under s 32(3)(a)(iii) in relation to Statutory Rule 24 Planning and Environment Act 1987 — Notices of approval of amendments to the following Planning Schemes;
Casey — C46 Darebin — C71 Greater Greater Dandenong — C88 Maroondah — C55 Statutory Rules under the following Acts: Associations
Incorporation Act 1981 — SR 8 Co-operatives Act
1996 — SR 9 Estate Agents Act 1980 — SR 7 Fundraising Appeals Act — SR 10 Residential Tenancies Act 1997 — SR 11 Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act 2005 — SR 6 Supreme Court Act 1986 — SRs 5, 6 Subordinate Legislation Act 1994: Minister’s exception certificates in relations to Statutory Rules 5, 6 Ministers’ exemption
certificates in relation to Statutory Rules 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. |
(3) Petitions
Petitions may be formally tabled. A petition is a request for action by any
citizen or group of citizens to, for example, introduce legislation or change
existing legislation for a specific purpose. Sometimes petitions relate to a
specific grievance.
A petition may only be presented to the House by a member
of Parliament, however there is no requirement for it to be the petitioner’s
local member.
Further Information:
·
Fact Sheet 8: Petitions
Example of petitions
presented to the House
|
PETITIONS — The Clerk announced that the following petitions had been lodged for presentation: Victorian Cattle
Feedlot 1995 — Requesting
that the House ensures — (a) the accepted standards and listed approved
measures in the Victorian Cattle Feedlot Code 1995 and are applied in full
and regarded as the minimum to be met by any feedlot in the Murrindindi
Shire; and (b) that the State Government agencies DPI, EPA,
Goulburn Murray Water, Upper Goulburn Catchment Management Authority and the
Feedlot Advisory Council be directed to act accordingly when considering any
feedlot application, bearing 153 signatures (by Dr Sykes) Rural Planning Zones
— Requesting that the House urges
the Government to withdraw and redraft the new rural planning zones and
introduce a planning system that — (a) strikes a fairer balance between the
need to preserve prime agricultural land and acknowledgement of the rights of
landowners; (b) does not impinge on a landowner’s rights to retire with
dignity; (c) encourages young people to take up farming; and (d) gives
local government flexibility in the determination of subdivisions and use of
rural land, bearing 329 signatures (by Mr Ryan). Petitions ordered to be tabled. |
(4) Statement
of Compatibility
In accordance with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 a statement
of compatibility must accompany every bill that is introduced to either
House. The statement must state whether
the bill is compatible with human rights and, if so, how it is compatible. The statement is tabled by the member who
introduced the bill when the member makes the second reading speech.
Every statement of compatibility is recorded in
Hansard and can be accessed via the Parliament’s website by searching Hansard
or Legislation and Bills.
Legislation
and Bills ® Parliamentary Documents ® Bills ® [choose relevant bill] ® [click on link to Statement of Compatibility]
Further Information:
·
Fact Sheet 2: Stages of a Bill
·
Fact Sheet 22:
Finding Information about Parliament
How to table documents
When agencies and departments want to
table documents or annual reports there are certain procedures to follow.
Copies must be supplied to
the Procedure Office prior to tabling and a letter signed by the relevant
minister requesting tabling must be sent to the Clerk of the Legislative
Assembly. Tabling will not take place
until the letter and stock have been received.
For reports that require the
protection of the Parliament (ie Parliamentary
Papers) and which do not have automatic Parliamentary Paper status, prior
permission must be obtained from
the
Speaker for these to be printed. These reports must be A4 size, be perfect
bound for subsequent binding purposes and have a number printed on the title
page. The Assembly allocates the number and there is also certain text that
must appear on the title page to show that the House has ordered the report to
be printed. Tabling of the report or document will only take place when stock
and a letter signed by the minister have been received.
For full details of how to
table reports or documents contact the Legislative Assembly, Procedure Office
on (03) 9651 8563.
How to find out what
has been tabled
Use Parliament’s internet site www.parliament.vic.gov.au to find out if and when a
particular report or document was tabled by searching the Votes and Proceedings or Hansard.
Hansard ® [Search by papers or petitions]
Legislative Assembly ® Documents ® Chamber Documents ® Votes and Proceedings ® [Choose relevant date]
The Votes and
Proceedings from previous sitting periods are also available. Use the
archives if you are searching for details of a document tabled in an earlier
sitting period.
Legislation and Bills ® Parliamentary Documents ® Archive ® [Choose sitting period] ® Votes and Proceedings ® [Choose relevant date]
Assembly Abridged is a convenient summary of what has
happened in the Legislative Assembly each sitting day. This is also a useful tool to use to find
what has been tabled.
Legislative Assembly ® Documents ® Chamber Documents ® Assembly Abridged ® [Choose relevant date]
Alternatively you can contact the Legislative Assembly
Procedure Office on:
(03) 9651 8563 or by email: assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au
Issued by the Clerk of the
Legislative Assembly, August 2007
Fact Sheets
The Legislative Assembly Procedure Office
has produced a series of Fact Sheets that explain parliamentary procedure and
terminology. All Fact Sheets are available on Parliament’s website www.parliament.vic.gov.au or through the Procedure
Office. Contact Details
Procedure Office, Legislative Assembly,
Parliament House, Spring Street, Phone No: 03
9651 8563 Fax No: 03 9650 7245 Email: assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au |