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Thursday, 9 February 2012
Page: 648

NOTICES

The following notice(s) were given:

Mr Albanese: To move:

That:

(1) in accordance with section 6 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011, matters relating to the powers and proceedings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights shall be as follows, that:

(a) the committee consist of 10 members, 3 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip, 2 Members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or by any non-aligned Member, 2 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 2 Senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and 1 Senator to be nominated by any minority group or independent Senator;

(b) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(c) the committee elect a Government member as its chair;

(d) the committee elect a non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee;

(e) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting;

(f) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote;

(g) 3 members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-Government member of either House;

(h) the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine;

(i) the committee appoint the chair of each subcommittee and at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting and in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair will have a casting vote;

(j) 2 members of a subcommittee constitute a quorum of that subcommittee, provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include 1 Government member of either House and 1 non-Government member of either House;

(k) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;

(l) the committee or any subcommittee have power to call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced, to move from place to place, to meet and transact business in public or private session and to conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;

(m) a subcommittee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate or the House of Representatives;

(n) the committee may report from time to time; and

(o) the committee may appoint counsel to advise the committee with the approval of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(2) a message be sent to the Senate acquainting it of this resolution and requesting that it concur and take action accordingly.

Mr Albanese: To move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent:

(1) the time and order of business for Tuesday 14 February 2012 being as follows:

(a) the House shall meet at 12 noon;

(b) during the period from 12 noon until 2 p.m. any division on a question called for in the House, other than on a motion moved by a Minister during this period, shall stand deferred until the conclusion of the discussion of a matter of public importance; and;

(c) during the period from 12 noon until 2 p.m. if any member draws the attention of the Speaker to the state of the House, the Speaker shall announce that he will count the House at the conclusion of the discussion of a matter of public importance, if the Member then so desires; and

(2) any variation to this arrangement to be made only by a motion moved by a Minister.

Ms Saffin: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises, on 13 February 2012, the fourth anniversary of the apology to the Stolen Generations;

(2) affirms the sentiment expressed by this House on 13 February 2008, as a significant step to build a new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and recognise the suffering caused by past injustices;

(3) expresses its support for members of the Stolen Generations and for the activities happening across Australia on 13 February to mark the anniversary of the apology;

(4) recognises the significant efforts of groups including the National Stolen Generations Alliance and the National Sorry Day Committee to support and work for the interests of members of the Stolen Generations;

(5) notes the new special collection that will be established in the Parliamentary Library of historical documents presented by the National Sorry Day Committee, which documents our nation's shared journey toward reconciliation and the ongoing process of healing and justice for members of the Stolen Generations.