44Th Parliament in Review
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RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, 2016–17 DATE 24 NOVEMBER 2016 44th Parliament in review Politics and Public Administration Section Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... 3 Abbreviations .............................................................................................. 3 Introduction ................................................................................................ 4 Background ................................................................................................. 4 Chronology of events and developments ...................................................... 5 2014 .................................................................................................................... 5 2015 .................................................................................................................... 5 2016 .................................................................................................................... 6 The path to the double dissolution election .................................................. 7 Prorogation and recall of Parliament ................................................................. 8 The Budget and the double dissolution.............................................................. 9 The Speaker ................................................................................................ 9 Elections ............................................................................................................. 9 Acknowledgement of country .......................................................................... 10 Procedural and other developments relating to the Speakership ................... 10 Amendment to Standing Order 68—power of the Speaker to intervene ...... 10 Security identification requirements for visitors wearing coverings ............. 10 Opposition motions ........................................................................................ 11 Resignation of Speaker Bishop ....................................................................... 11 Question Time ............................................................................................11 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 11 Senate ............................................................................................................... 12 Suspensions ...............................................................................................12 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 12 Divisions ....................................................................................................13 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 13 Senate ............................................................................................................... 14 ISSN 2203-5249 Legislation ..................................................................................................15 Volume of legislation ........................................................................................ 15 House of Representatives—bills discharged and private members’ bills ........ 16 Senate—bills discharged, private senators’ bills and double dissolution triggers .............................................................................................................. 16 Crossbench................................................................................................. 16 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 17 Senate ............................................................................................................... 17 Committees ...............................................................................................18 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 18 Selection committee ...................................................................................... 19 Senate ............................................................................................................... 19 Estimates committees .................................................................................... 21 Composition of the 44th Parliament by party and gender ............................ 21 Ministry .......................................................................................................... 22 By-elections and casual vacancies ............................................................... 23 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 23 Senate ............................................................................................................... 24 Addresses to the Parliament ....................................................................... 25 Ministerial statements ................................................................................ 25 House of Representatives ................................................................................. 25 Senate ............................................................................................................... 26 Petitions ....................................................................................................26 Other procedural changes ........................................................................... 27 Use of electronic devices .................................................................................. 27 Children in the House of Representatives Chamber ........................................ 27 Appendix 1: Private members’ bills introduced in the House of Representatives .........................................................................................28 Appendix 2: Private senators’ bills introduced in the Senate ........................ 30 Appendix 3: Double dissolution triggers and the Proclamation dissolving the 44th Parliament and related correspondence .............................................. 34 Appendix 4: Conscience votes in the 44th Parliament .................................. 47 Appendix 5: Floor crossings in the 44th Parliament ...................................... 48 Appendix 6: Further reading ....................................................................... 49 Parliamentary Library publications................................................................... 49 Research papers ............................................................................................. 49 FlagPosts ......................................................................................................... 49 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure reports ........... 49 Senate Procedural Information Bulletins and Standing Committee on Procedure reports ............................................................................................ 50 44th Parliament in review 2 Acknowledgements The Politics and Public Administration section would like to thank Tim Bryant and Annemieke Jongsma, Senate Procedure Office; the staff of the Senate Table Office; James Rees, House of Representatives Chamber Research Office; and Leo Terpstra for their invaluable assistance in the preparation of this Research Paper. Abbreviations ALP Australian Labor Party AMEP Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party CLP Country Liberal Party (Northern Territory) DLP Democratic Labour Party FFP Family First Party GRN Australian Greens IND Independent KAP Katter’s Australian Party LDP Liberal Democratic Party LIB Liberal Party of Australia LNP Liberal National party NP The Nationals PUP Palmer United Party 44th Parliament in review 3 Introduction In 2013 Australia returned to majority government when the Abbott Coalition Government was elected with 90 out of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, minor and micro parties and Independents held the balance of power. The 44th Parliament was very different to the preceding Parliament but in many ways no less dramatic. A Senate Procedural Information Bulletin noted at the end of the 44th Parliament: First, the prorogation for a new session of Parliament opened on 18 April 2016; now the simultaneous dissolution of both Houses under section 57 of the Constitution, which took effect at 9 am on 9 May, the anniversary of the opening of the first Federal Parliament in 1901 (as well as of the provisional and new parliamentary buildings in 1927 and 1988). Both procedures have now been invoked for the first time in some decades, signalling that the end of the 44th Parliament has been an unusual one.1 This paper reviews the major parliamentary and political events of the 44th Parliament. The paper is not an exhaustive chronicle of the 44th Parliament but a review of the major aspects of the workings of this Parliament. It is organised thematically covering, where relevant, procedural changes, statistical information, and events of note and interest in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is intended to be used as a companion to the Parliamentary Library paper on the 43rd (Hung) Parliament and the forthcoming research paper on the 2016 federal election.2 Background The 44th Parliament was notable for a number of upheavals in party leadership and party composition, notably the deposing