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THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

1974-Parliamentary Paper No. 275

Senate Standing Orders Committee

First Report

of Fifty-sixth Session

NOVEMBER 197 4

Laid on the Table by the President and

ordered to be printed 19 November 1974

THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER OF AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA 1975

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

The President (Senator the Honourable Justin O'Byrne), Chairman

The Chairman of Committees (Senator J. J. Webster)

The Leader of the Government in The Senate (Senator The Honourable Lionel Murphy, Q.C.)

The Manager of Government Business in The Senate (Senator the Honourable Douglas McClelland)

The Leader of the Opposition in The Senate (Senator R. G. Withers)

Senator The Honourable Sir Magnus Cormack, K.B .E.

Senator The Honourable T. C. Drake-Brockman, D.F.C.

Senator A. T. Gietzelt

Senator The Honourable I. J. Greenwood, Q.C.

Senator G . D. Mcintosh

Senator A. G. Poyser

Printed by McCallum Pty. Ltd., 50-58 Chapel Street , Norwood , S.A .

THE SENATE

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE

First Report for Session 1974

On 31 October 197 4 the Senate referred the following matter to the Standing Orders Committee for consideration and report, viz. The procedure for the presentation of petitions.

The Standing Orders Committee has considered the matter and recommends that the Senate adopt the following Sessional Order, viz.

'That, notwithstanding anything contained in the Standing Orders, the procedure for the presentation of petitions be varied as follows:

(1) A Senator desiring personally to present a petition shall notify the Clerk when lodging the petition. When presenting such petition to the Senate, the Senator may announce-(a) that he presents a petition from a stated number of petitioners relating

to a certain matter; or (b) that he presents a petition from a stated number of petitioners similarly worded to one presented earlier by a Senator.

The Senator may ask that the petition be read by the Clerk: Provided that, unless otherwise ordered, a petition exceeding 250 words may not be read. (2) The Clerk shall then make an announcement as to other petitions lodged with him, indicating in respect of each petition the Senator who presents it, the number of signatures, the identity of the petitioners and the subject-matter of the petition.

(3) Every petition presented shall be deemed to have been received by the Senate unless a motion, moved forthwith, that a particular petition be not received be agreed to. (4) The terms of the petitions presented shall be printed in Hansard.'

JUSTIN O'BYRNE

14 November 1974 Chairman of the Committee

(R74/1667)-H & I Code: PP 275/74 Recommended retail price 12 cents