AUSTRALIA'S CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE LEGISLATION—JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE—PROPOSED APPOINTMENT

A message from the House of Representatives was reported proposing the appointment of a joint select committee, as follows:

 Message no. 258, dated 13 September 2011—Proposed Joint Select Committee on Australia's Clean Energy Future Legislation, and transmitting for the concurrence of the Senate the following resolution:

  (1) That a Joint Select Committee on Australia's Clean Energy Future Legislation be appointed to inquire into and report on the provisions of the following bills:

   (a) Clean Energy Bill 2011;

   (b) Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011;

   (c) Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011;

   (d) Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011;

   (e) Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011;

   (f) Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011;

   (g) Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011;

   (h) Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011;

   (i) Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011;

   (j) Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011;

   (k) Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge—General) Bill 2011;

   (l) Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge—Auctions) Bill 2011;

   (m) Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge—Fixed Charge) Bill 2011;

   (n) Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011;

   (o) Clean Energy (Charges—Customs) Bill 2011;

   (p) Clean Energy (Charges—Excise) Bill 2011;

   (q) Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011;

   (r) Climate Change Authority Bill 2011; and

   (s) Steel Transformation Plan Bill 2011.

  (2) That the committee consist of 14 members, four members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, three members of the House of Representatives to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips, one Greens member, one non-aligned member, two senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, two senators to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and one Greens senator.

  (3) That 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.

  (4) That the persons appointed for the time being to serve on the committee shall constitute the committee notwithstanding any failure by the Senate or the House of Representatives to appoint the full number of senators or members referred to in this resolution.

  (5) That the committee elect a Government member as its chair.

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

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

  (8) That four members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee provided that in a deliberative meeting the quorum shall include at least one Government member of either House and one non-Government member of either house.

  (9) That the committee have power to call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced.

  (10) That the committee may conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit.

  (11) That the committee have the power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

  (12) That the committee report on or before 7 October 2011.

  (13) That the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

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

Leave refused: Pursuant to standing order 155, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig) sought leave to have the message considered immediately.

An objection was raised and leave was not granted.

On the motion of Senator Ludwig consideration of the message was made an order of the day for a later hour.