34   PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY—PROPOSED JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE

Mr Albanese (Leader of the House), pursuant to notice, moved—

(1)    That a Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library be appointed to:

(a)    consider and report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on any matters relating to the Parliamentary Library referred to it by the President or the Speaker;

(b)   provide advice to the President and the Speaker on matters relating to the Parliamentary Library;

(c)    provide advice to the President and the Speaker on an annual resource agreement between the Parliamentary Librarian and the Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services; and

(d)   receive advice and reports, including an annual report, directly from the Parliamentary Librarian on matters relating to the Parliamentary Library.

(2)    That the Committee consist of 13 members, 4 Members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Government whip or whips, 3 Members of the House of Representatives nominated by the Opposition whip or whips or by any non-aligned Member, 3 Senators nominated by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, 2 Senators nominated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and 1 Senator nominated by minority groups or independent Senators.

(3)    That every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the President and the Speaker.

(4)    That the nomination by the minority groups and independent Senators shall be determined by agreement between them, and, in the absence of agreement duly notified to the President, any question of the representation on the committee shall be determined by the Senate.

(5)    That the members of the committee hold office as a joint standing committee until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time.

(6)    That the committee shall elect 2 of its members to be joint chairs, 1 being a Senator or Member, on an alternating basis each Parliament, who is a member of the government parties and 1 being a Senator or Member, on an alternating basis each Parliament, who is a member of the non-government parties, provided that the joint chairs may not be members of the same House. The joint chair nominated by the government parties shall chair meetings of the committee, and the joint chair nominated by the non-government parties shall take the chair whenever the other joint chair is not present.

(7)    That each of the joint chairs shall have a deliberative vote only, regardless of who is chairing the meeting.

(8)    That when votes on a question before the committee are equally divided, the question shall be resolved in the negative.

(9)    That three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum of the committee, but in a deliberative meeting a quorum shall include 1 member of each House of the government parties and 1 member of either House of the non-government parties.

(10)  That the committee may appoint subcommittees, consisting of 3 or more of its members, and refer to any such subcommittee any of the matters which the committee is empowered to consider.

(11)  That the quorum of a subcommittee shall be 2 members.

(12)  That the committee shall appoint the chair of each subcommittee, who shall have a deliberative vote only, 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.

(13)  That 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.

(14)  That the committee and any subcommittee shall have power to meet in private or public session and to report from time to time.

(15)  That the President and the Speaker may attend any meeting of the committee or a subcommittee as they see fit, but shall not be members of the committee or subcommittee and may not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum.

(16)  That the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Committee on the Parliamentary Library appointed during previous Parliaments.

(17)  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.

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

Question—put and passed.