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House of Representatives                                Ch 8                                                 p 240

Secret sittings and meetings

During war time the House has conducted a portion of a sitting in secret and has also held secret meetings and joint secret meetings with the Senate. These meetings are not regarded as sittings of the House. For the joint meetings a regulation under the National Security Act was gazetted setting out the conditions of secrecy of any such meetings convened by a specific resolution agreed to by both Houses. ¹

While the estimates for the Department of Defence were being discussed in the Committee of Supply on the morning of 13 December 1940, notice was taken of the presence of strangers ² who were then ordered to withdraw. The estimates were then discussed in secret and the recording of debates suspended from 12.32 a.m. until 3.30 a.m. ³ On two occasions in 1941 strangers were ordered to withdraw and the sitting suspended so that the House could meet in secret. ⁴ On such occasions Senators present were not regarded as strangers.

Joint secret meetings were held with the Senate on 20 February, 3 and 4 September and 8 October 1942. The meetings were held in the House of Representatives Chamber, the first during the suspension of a sitting, the others following the adjournment of the House. ⁵ Certain departmental staff were permitted to be present and the Serjeant-at-Arms remained in the Chamber. During World War I a secret meeting took place informally in the Senate Club Room where Members and Senators were asked to attend by the Prime Minister.

National Security (Supplementary) Regulations, SR 78 of 1942.

In current standing orders referred to as ‘visitors’.

VP 1940-43/72; H.R. Deb. (12-13.12.40) 1054.

VP 1940-43/123, 166.

VP 1940-43/275, 393, 441. The meeting of 4 September was a continuation of that of 3 September.