Building a modern committee system

• House Standing Committee on Procedure

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30 June 2010This report recommends a set of complementary measures designed to strengthen the system of committees in the House of Representatives. Most of these recommendations suggest incremental change, which, in the past, has been the most effective means of bringing about practical improvements. 

The current system of House and joint committees has been operating since 1987. Apart from some significant reforms in 1998, changes to its structure and operation since that time have been largely incremental. This may be because the committee system has continued, in large measure, to meet the House’s needs. Nevertheless, Members’ and the public’s changing expectations have meant that the pressure for reform has been building over recent years.

For example, relatively recent developments in information and communication technology present opportunities for committees to change the way they do their work, including how they conduct inquiries and engage with the community. The range of demands on Members has also evolved, partly because of technological developments, and partly due to the public’s changing expectations of Members and the Parliament as a whole. This inquiry into the effectiveness of the House committee system is therefore timely.

The Committee looked at ways to make the House committee system more workable and responsive to the needs of the community and of the Parliament. It considered the structure of the committee system, the powers of committees, and the types of work committees do. A range of structural factors were also considered, including ensuring that committees are properly resourced and appropriately integrated into the structures of the Parliament to carry out their vitally important work.