The Standing Orders Committee considered proposals for reform of the conduct of the Senate’s business and proceedings. The committee was origionally established to recommend temporary and then permanent standing orders to govern the procedures of the Senate and between 1901 and 1903 acted as an ad hoc committee.
One hundred years of Senate standing orders, 1903-2003.
Standing Orders Committee minutes, 7 June 1901.
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Committee timeline – The establishment of the first Senate committee
Committee timeline – First bill referred to a Senate standing committee
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Reports
Date tabled
Title
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First report of the first session (1901–02): The temporary adoption by the Senate of Standing Orders of the House of Assembly of South Australia, with alterations
Second report of the first session (1901–02): Prayers; Chairman of Committees; Quorum of the Standing Orders CommitteeParliamentary paper number L1/1901
Third report of the first session (1901–02): The Standing Orders Committee’s consideration of draft Standing Orders and recommendations for adoption of revised Senate Standing OrdersParliamentary paper number L7/1901
Memorandum re procedure on requests on Bills: Procedure on bills which the Senate may not amend
First report of the second session (1903): Proceedings on bills which the Senate may not amend; Appointment of Committee of Disputed Returns and QualificationsParliamentary paper number S1/1903
Second report of the second session (1903): Proposed standing ordersParliamentary paper number S3/1903
First report of the third session (1904): Powers of the President to make rulings and/or interpret the Standing Orders where any scenario may arise that present them inoperable; Records of rulings by the PresidentParliamentary paper number S2/1904
Second report of the third session (1904): Report on the Parliamentary Evidence Bill: powers of the Parliament to call for witnesses and evidenceParliamentary paper number S6/1904
Report of the Senate and House of Representatives Standing Orders Committees: Resumption of proceedings on lapsed billsParliamentary paper number S2/1905
First report of the fourth session (1905): Adjournment debate; Committee of the whole
Second report of the fourth session (1905): Instructions to committees of the wholeParliamentary paper number S7/1905
First report of the eighth session (1908): Opening of Parliament – address–in–reply; Term of office of the Office of the President; Chairman of Committees; Standing committees; Quorum at the commencement of sitting; Bills, including: introduction, committal, certificates, requests, transmission to the House of Representatives; Debate: relevance; Objection to ruling of the PresidentParliamentary paper number S1/1908
First report of the tenth session (1910): Disallowance motions having precedence over other business
Adoption of new standing order – A motion disallowing a regulation shall take precedence (Journal No. 64 24 Nov 1910)
First report of the fourteenth session (1914): Quorum; Business interrupted by sessional order; Questions on notice; Notices of motion; Standing committees: meeting during the sittings of Senate (new SO 38A); Voting; Payment of certain witnesses before committees; Receipt of messages from the House of Representatives; (Language changes and renumbering)Parliamentary paper number S1/1914
First report of the seventeenth session (1917–19): Proposed new standing order 416aParliamentary paper number S4/1919
Second report of the seventeenth session (1917–19): Time limits for speechesParliamentary paper number S5/1919
First report of the nineteenth session (1922): Vacation of the Office of the President; Election of the President; Temporary Chairmen; Meeting of the Senate; Quorum; Business of the Senate; Voting; Calling of senators; Records of proceedings and divisions; Time limits to speechesParliamentary paper number S2/1922
First report of the twenty–third session (1926–28): Proposed new standing order 407B – limitation of debate on urgent billsParliamentary paper number S1/1926
First report of the twenty–fifth session (1929–31): Establishment of the Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Reference of bills to committeesParliamentary paper number S5/1931
First report of the twenty–sixth session (1932–34): Election of President; Reference of bills to committees; Debate on the first and second reading stages of bills that the Senate cannot amendParliamentary paper number S3/1934
First report of the twenty–eighth session (1937): Amendments to standing orders: 13, 36a, 64, 190, 246, 284, 291, 357, 382, 407, 422,Parliamentary paper number S1/1937
First report of the twenty–ninth session (1937–40): Urgency motionsParliamentary paper number S2/1938
First report of the thirty–eighth session (1951–53): Opening of ParliamentParliamentary paper number S2/1953
First report of the forty–ninth session (1964–66): Amendments to standing ordersParliamentary paper number 244/1965
First report of the fifty–first session (1968–69): Questions on noticeParliamentary paper number 1/1969
Second report of the fifty–first session (1968–69): Questions on notice; Anticipation of debate; Disclosure of select committee evidenceParliamentary paper number 37/1969
First report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Disclosure of unpublished evidence of select committees (SO 308)Parliamentary paper number 1/1970
Second report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Standing committeesParliamentary paper number 2/1970
Third report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Publications committee (new SO 36)Parliamentary paper number 85/1970
Fourth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Committee memberships; Publications Committee; Disallowance motions; Urgency motions; Questions on notice; Committee of the whole – requests; Presentation of committee reports out of session; Rights of witnesses; Broadcasting committee hearings; Time limits on debate; Suspension of Standing Orders to eliminate delay in passage of billsParliamentary paper number 111/1971
Fifth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): In camera evidence before estimates committeesParliamentary paper number 134/1972
Sixth report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Urgency motions; Disallowance motionsParliamentary paper number 178/1972
Seventh report of the fifty–second session (1970–72): Senate committees meeting after dissolution of the House of RepresentativesParliamentary paper number 222/1972
First report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Presentation of petitionsParliamentary paper number 275/1974
Second report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Questions directed to Chairman of committees; Calling for divisions; Duration of division and quorum bells; Suspension of standing orders to eliminate delay in passage of bills; Calling of committee meetingsParliamentary paper number 276/1974
Third report of the fifty–sixth session (1974–75): Publication of answers to questions on notice; Incorporation of speeches in Hansard; Speakers lists; Motion for adjournment to debate matter of urgency; Time limits to speeches on billsParliamentary paper number 277/1974
First report of the fifty–seventh session (1976–77): Tabling of fifth edition of Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice (this report looks at issues of identifying original documents tabled, order for printing, and alterations to the printed from the tabled original)Parliamentary paper number 1/1977
Second report of the fifty–seventh session (1976–77): Incorporating speeches in Hansard; Reading of speeches; Offensive statements about legislative bodies and members thereof (reflection); Questions without notice; Questions on notice; Motions, by leave, to take note of papers; Legislative and general purpose standing committees – incorporation in the standing orders; Estimates committees – incorporation in the standing orders; Attendance of Committee members’ staff at committee meetingsParliamentary paper number 2/1977
First report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Motion to debate matter of urgency; Petitions – conformity; SO 364 – tabling of quoted documents; Procedure in relation to taking note of papers; Estimates committees; Televising of public hearings of legislative and general purpose standing committeesParliamentary paper number 27/1978
Second report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Estimates committees – staffing arrangements; Government consideration of Senate committee reports; SO 66a – precedence of motions for the disallowance of certain instruments; Selection of Bills CommitteeParliamentary paper number 20/1978
Third report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Committee membershipsParliamentary paper number 21/1978
Fourth report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Transfer of notice of motion for disallowance; Estimates committees – seniority of witnesses; Government consideration of Senate committee reports; Precedence to government statements on Parliamentary committee reports; Urgency motion and discussion of matter of public importance; Committees – reference of bills; Proceedings on the report of an offenceParliamentary paper number 70/1979
Fifth report of the fifty–ninth session (1978–80): Question time; Quotation of unparliamentary language in debate; Presentation of committee reports; Granting of leave; Estimates committees; Disorder in Senate committees; Televising Senate proceedings; Display of State Arms or insignia in the Chamber; Reflections upon the judiciary; Introduction of new business after 10.30pm (SO 68); Suspension of senatorsParliamentary paper number 50/1980
First report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Membership of the Standing Orders Committee; Deputy President of the Senate; Presentation and consideration of government reportsParliamentary paper number 361/1981
Second report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Urgency motions and matters of public importance; Transfer of notice of motion for disallowance; Seconding of motions and amendments; Committees meeting during the sitting of the SenateParliamentary paper number 360/1981
Third report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Consideration of committee reports; Time limits for speeches; Petitions; Question timeParliamentary paper number 82/1982
Fourth report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): Televising Senate proceedingsParliamentary paper number 274/1982
Fifth report of the Sixtieth session (1980–82): PetitionsParliamentary paper number 313/1982
First report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): Meetings of the Public Accounts Committee during sittings of the Senate; Scrutiny of Bills committee; Access to Senate documents; SO 406 – reading of speechesParliamentary paper number 117/1983
Second report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): SO 364 – tabling of documents quoted from in debateParliamentary paper number 111/1983
Third report of the sixty–first session (1983–84): Pecuniary interests of senators; Incorporation of material in HansardParliamentary paper number 112/1984
First report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): SO 406 – reading of speeches; SO 363 tabling of documents quoted by ministers; Pecuniary interests of senatorsParliamentary paper number 504/1985
Second report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Presentation of draft billsParliamentary paper number 504/1985
Third report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Private interests of senatorsParliamentary paper number 435/1986
Fourth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Time limits for the adjournment debate; Notices of motion; Matters of public and urgency motions; Time limits on debate; Consideration of Standing Order Committee reportsParliamentary paper number 435/1986
Fifth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Consideration of government documents; Putting of amendmentsParliamentary paper number 169/1987
Sixth report of the sixty–second session (1985–87): Meetings of the Public Accounts Committee during the sittings of the SenateParliamentary paper number 169/1987