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Title

Ch18 Parliamentary committees / MEETING PROCEDURES / Motions and voting

Database

House Practice

Date

01-05-2005

Source

House of Reps

Parl No.

41

Chapter

Parliamentary committees

Chapter No.

Chapter 18

Page

700

Section No.

 

System Id

procedural/practcer/chapter18.113.doc


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Ch18 Parliamentary committees / MEETING PROCEDURES / Motions and voting



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House of Representatives                                Ch 18                                                 p 700

 

Parliamentary committees / MEETING PROCEDURES

 

Motions and voting

The standing orders are silent on the moving of motions and amendments and voting in committees, except to state that the chair has a casting vote only 1 and to provide for voting during the consideration of draft reports. 2

Following the procedure of the former committee of the whole, motions and amendments do not require a seconder. The one exception is the nomination of a member for election as chair ( see p.  639 ). As well as amendments being moved, an amendment may be moved to an amendment. 3

As in the former committee of the whole, a division is not proceeded with unless more than one member has called for a division. In such instances the member may inform the chair that the member wishes his or her dissent to be recorded in the minutes. This request is automatically granted. 4

Questions are determined by a majority of votes. While the chair of a House of Representatives committee exercises a casting vote only, 5 the voting rights of chairs of joint committees can vary. It is common to include in the resolution of appointment of joint committees the following paragraph:

In the event of an equality in voting, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, shall have a casting vote. 6

This is in effect a second vote which is in addition to the chair’s deliberative vote. If special provisions are not made for a casting vote, the chair of a joint committee has a deliberative vote only in accordance with Senate standing orders. 7 Thus, when the votes are equal the question will pass in the negative. This rule is applied to the relatively few joint committees whose resolutions of appointment do not determine the chair’s voting powers. 8 The resolution of appointment of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in the 37th Parliament did not have a provision covering an equality of voting, hence the provision in the Senate standing order applied. 9

The Joint Standing Committee on the New Parliament House had joint chairs. Its resolution of appointment provided that in matters of procedure, each of the chairs, whether or not occupying the chair, had a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of voting, the chair occupying the chair had a casting vote. In matters other than those of procedure, each of the chairs, whether or not occupying the chair, had a deliberative vote only. 10



S.O. 232(a).



S.O. 244(d).



E.g. Committee of Privileges, minutes 21.12.93, PP 78 (1994).



S.O. 126.



For an exception see Select Committee on Aircraft Noise where the chair had a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also had a casting vote, VP 1969-70/15-17.



VP 1996-98/126-135; VP 1998-2001/171.



Senate S.O. 31.



Joint Committee on the Australian Capital Territory, VP 1980-83/54-5, 69.



VP 1993-95/82. In the 38th and 39th Parliaments the resolution did so provide, VP 1996-98/127; VP 1998-2001/167.



VP 1987-89/39-40.