2a. The Committee recommends that an Act
of Parliament should be the principal means by which Parliamentary committees
are established.
2b. The Committee recommends that the
Victorian Parliament should retain the option of establishing Parliamentary
committees by means of Standing Orders and by means of resolution.
3. The Committee recommends that the Parliamentary
committee system in Victoria continue to include the option of joint
House and single House Parliamentary committees.
4a. The Committee recommends that matters
concerning Parliamentary committees that occur on the floor of either
House of Parliament (for example the nomination and balloting of members)
continue to be dealt with by Standing Orders.
4b. The Committee recommends that reviews
of the Standing Orders take particular note of procedures relating to
Parliamentary committees and endeavour to deal with these matters in
a modern and appropriate manner.
5a. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committees established under a new Parliamentary Committees Act should
broadly reflect the areas of responsibility of each government department.
5b. The Committee recommends that Ministers
use Parliamentary committees more readily as a means of researching
issues for the Parliament and consulting the public.
5c. The Committee recommends that the
Government consider referring draft or proposed Bills to Parliamentary
committees where appropriate.
6a. The Committee recommends that the
Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee be given the power to consider
Acts if they were not reported on by that Committee when they were still
Bills.
6b. The Committee recommends that the
Road Safety Committee should be renamed the Transport Committee and
that its functions be expanded to cover road safety, public transport,
ports and rail.
6c. The Committee recommends that the
Public Accounts and Estimates Committee's functions be amended to reflect
the full range of financial and budget documents tabled in the Parliament.
6d. The Committee recommends the Law Reform
Committee should be renamed the Justice Committee and that its functions
should be expanded to cover the administration of justice, police, the
courts, prisons and law reform.
7a. The Committee recommends that the
House Committee should not be dealt with in an Act dealing with Parliamentary
committees. Rather, the House Committee should be dealt with by the
Joint Standing Orders of the Victorian Parliament.
7b. The Committee recommends that the
tenure of the House Committee should be the same as other Parliamentary
committees, namely that it hold office until the expiry of the Assembly
by effluxtion of time or the dissolution of the Assembly, whichever
happens first.
8a. The Committee recommends that the
Library Committee should not be dealt with in an Act dealing with Parliamentary
committees. Rather, the Library Committee should be dealt with by the
Joint Standing Orders of the Victorian Parliament.
8b. The Committee recommends that the
tenure of the Library Committee should be the same as other Parliamentary
committees, namely that it hold office until the expiry of the Assembly
by effluxtion of time or the dissolution of the Assembly, whichever
happens first.
9a. The Committee recommends that the
Parliamentary committee system retain its current flexibility in relation
to the size and composition of committees.
9b. The Committee recommends that members
of Parliament be actively encouraged to participate as much as possible
in the Parliamentary committee system.
10. The Committee recommends that a provision similar
to section 4Q of the current Act that sets up a committee to hold discussions
with a view to securing the more efficient functioning of the committees
be included in a new Act dealing with Parliamentary committees.
11. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committees be allowed to initiate their own inquires if the committee
members unanimously agree to do so.
12. The Committee recommends that a full
committee may empower an individual member to take evidence if the committee
members unanimously agree to do so.
13. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committees be given the power to send for persons, documents and other
things.
14a. The Committee recommends that all
evidence given to a Parliamentary committee should be treated as public
unless the committee accepts the evidence on the basis that it is confidential.
14b. The Committee recommends that confidential
evidence remains confidential unless the person who gave it later consents
to its publication.
14c. The Committee recommends that evidence
gathered by a Parliamentary committee that has not completed its inquiry
before it is reconstituted, may be used by a committee of the same name
or with the same purpose.
15. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committees make greater use of technology by—
(a) regularly making submissions available
on the internet when appropriate; and
(b) encouraging the public to lodge
submissions and comments electronically; and
(c) conducting public hearings via video
and audio links when appropriate; and
(d) enabling committee meetings to be
held electronically.
16. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committee reports should be able to be tabled when Parliament is not
sitting if the committee unanimously decides that this is appropriate.
17a. The Committee recommends that responsible
Ministers should provide interim responses to Parliamentary committee
reports within two months.
17b. The Committee recommends that responsible
Ministers should provide final and detailed responses to Parliamentary
committee reports within six months.
17c. The Committee recommends that the
final Ministerial responses to committee reports should include the
recommendations that are to be adopted and the way and time within which
they will be carried out and the reasons for not adopting any committee
recommendations.
17d. The Committee recommends that if
Parliament is not sitting, responsible Ministers should be able to table
their response to committee reports with the President and Speaker.
18. The Committee recommends that an Act
dealing with Parliamentary committees not include provisions pertaining
to private Bills. Separate legislation may be appropriate.
19. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committees be funded by an appropriation made under the Appropriation
(Parliament) Act each year.
20a. The Committee recommends that the
status and role of committee staff be enhanced and that staff should
be provided with career development opportunities.
20b. The Committee recommends that Parliamentary
committee staff be shared between committees and that a clearer career
structure should be developed for research officers to Parliamentary
committees.
20c. The Committee recommends that secondments
of staff to and from government departments be facilitated and actively
encouraged.