APPENDIX 29
Letter from the Clerk of the House and
the Executive Assistant to the Clerk of the House, House of Representatives,
Australia, to the Clerk of the Committee
Thank you for your email of Tuesday 24 July
seeking information on the nomination of members to committees.
The following information is provided in response to your questions.
a) The number of Members involved in the
work of "standing" or "select" committees
which monitor or scrutinise the work of Government departments
and what the total number of represents as a proportion of the
total membership of the House?
b) How many such committees there are, how
many Members serve on each, and how many have chairmen drawn from
opposition parties?
Background
Members of the House of Representatives currently
serve on nine General Purpose Standing Committees, five Joint
Standing Committees, one Joint Select Committee and seven Joint
Statutory Committees. There are also seven internal or domestic
committees concerned with the operations of the house—these
committees are not addressed in this paper. The House General
Purpose Standing Committees are established under the standing
orders for the life of the Parliament and are usually re-established
in successive Parliaments. The Joint Standing Committees are appointed
by resolution of both Houses generally at the beginning of a Parliament
and are comprised of both Members and Senators. There are also
Joint Statutory Committees established under an Act of Parliament
and currently one Joint Select Committee established recently
by resolution. Committees are listed at the following site http://www.aph.gov.au/committee.htm.
Membership of Committees
There are 148 Members of the House and 49 of
those are not members of "standing" or "select"
committees which monitor or scrutinise the work of Government
departments. Therefore, 66 per cent are members of the committees.
Office holders and Ministers have not normally
served on committees except in an ex officio capacity on committees
concerned with the operations of the House or the Parliament.
Under the standing orders, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker or
the Second Deputy Speaker shall not be appointed to serve on a
committee except with his or her consent or as specified in a
standing or sessional order.
Listed below is the number of Members on each
Committee. All House of Representatives and Joint Committees have
Government chairs.
| General Purpose Standing
| Numbers of Members |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs <atsia/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Communications, Transport and the Arts <cta/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Economics, Finance and Public Administration <efpa/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Employment, Education and Workplace Relations <eewr/index.htm>
| 12 Members |
| Environment and Heritage <environ/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Family and Community Affairs <fca/index.htm>
| 12 Members |
| Industry, Science and Resources <isr/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Legal and Constitutional Affairs <laca/index.htm>
| 10 Members |
| Primary Industries and Regional Services <primind/index.htm>
| 12 Members |
| |
| Joint Statutory | Number of Members and Senators
|
| Australian Security Intelligence Organisation <pjcasio/index.htm>
| 4 Members and 3 Senators |
| Corporations and Securities <senate/committee/corp_sec_ctte/index.htm>
| 5 Members and 5 Senators |
| National Crime Authority <senate/committee/nca_ctte/index.htm>
| 5 Members and 5 Senators |
| Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund <senate/committee/ntlf _ctte/index.htm>
| 5 Members and 6 Senators |
| Public Accounts and Audit <jpaa/index.htm>
| 10 Members and 6 Senators |
| Public Works <pwc/index.htm> | 6 Members and 3 Senators
|
| |
| Joint Standing | Number of Members and Senators
|
| Electoral Matters <em/index.htm> |
5 Members and 5 Senators |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade <jfadt/index.htm>
| 20 Members and 12 Senators |
| Migration <mig/index.htm> | 6 Members and 4 Senators
|
| National Capital and External Territories <ncet/index.htm>
| 6 Members and 6 Senators |
| Treaties <jsct/index.htm> | 9 Members and 7 Senators
|
| |
| Joint Select | Number of Members and Senators
|
| Intelligence Services <jscis/index.htm>
| 9 Members and 6 Senators |
| |
c) What mechanism is used for nominating Members of these
committees?
d) To what extent are the party whips/machines part of
that process?
The number of members of a committee is determined by the
standing orders, by resolution or by the Act establishing the
committee. In most cases the standing orders or resolution establishing
the committee will also determine the party composition of its
membership-that is, by specifying the numbers of Members to be
drawn from government and from non-government parties. In practice
each party's representation on a committee is equated as nearly
as possible to its numerical strength in the House, and consequently
the relevant standing orders may change from Parliament to Parliament
to reflect the election results. Special provision may also be
made for any independent Members.
The Members to be appointed are normally elected or selected
within their respective parties. The process is organised by the
whips. Independent Members liaise with the opposition whips in
respect of non-government positions.
Members are formally appointed to, or discharged from, a
committee on motion moved on notice. When the House is not sitting
and is not expected to meet for at least two weeks, party whips
may write to the Speaker nominating the appointment or discharge
of a member. The change operates from the time the nomination
is received by the Speaker. The Speaker reports the change to
the House at the next sitting when it is confirmed by resolution.
e) Are select committee chairmen paid extra beyond the
normal salary of members of your House?
In the Australian parliament, additional salary is paid to
committee chairs. Three levels of payment are made according to
committee type. A chair of more than one committee will receive
the additional payment in respect of each committee. (Authority:
Remuneration Tribunal Determination 1999/16). The rates of additional
salary payable are set out in the table below. The "basic
salary" referred to in the attachment is the amount payable
to regulation (regulation 4 of the Remuneration and Allowances
Act 1990). The current gross rate of basic salary is A$95 600
per annum. The current annual rates of additional salary payable
to committee chairs are A$2 870, A$10 520 and A$15 300.
This is the only additional remuneration payable to members
of parliamentary committees.
Rate of additional salary payable to chairs of parliamentary
committees. Additional salary as a percentage of basic salary
| Chairs of Parliamentary Committees |
% |
| Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit
| 16 |
| Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works
| 16 |
| Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
| 16 |
| Joint Statutory Committee on Treaties | 16
|
| Joint Statutory Committee or Joint Standing Committee
| 11 |
| House of Representatives General Purpose Standing Committee
| 11 |
| Joint Select Committee or Select Committee in the Senate or the House of Representatives
| 11 |
| Investigating Standing Committee established by resolution of either House
| 11 |
| House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure
| 11 |
| House of Representatives Committee Members' Interests
| 3 |
Parliamentary committee concerned with public affairs rather than the domestic affairs of
Parliament, not otherwise specified.
| 3 |
| |
For your information, additional background on the salaries
and allowances for Members of Parliament is set out in a report
of the Remuneration Tribunal (Report on Senators and Members of
Parliament, Ministers and Holders of Parliamentary Office—Salaries
and Allowances for Expenses of Office, December 1999, available
from http://www.remtribunal.gov.au/home/dets/report%5F1999%5F01.html).
I C Harris
Clerk of the House
Laraine Brennan
Executive Assistant to the Clerk of the House
7 August 2001
| 
