Cullen Michael: Standing Orders 
Cullen Michael: Standing Orders 
[Volume:614;Page:10726] 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I move  
That the amendments to the Standing Orders set out in Appendix A of the Report of the Standing Orders Committee on the Review of Standing Orders be adopted and come into force on 10 February 2004 
. That last date indicates the intended date of resumption after the adjournment. I will speak very briefly because these are probably the most limited changes to the Standing Orders we have seen for quite a long period of time and are certainly more limited than the last three or four rounds of changes to the Standing Orders. 
Firstly the fact that there are very limited changes points to the fact that there is relatively little need to change the Standing Orders. The changes are relatively minor ones often re-ordering or technical changes in order to line things up with either current practice or interpretation of the Standing Orders—for example in terms of the putting of amendments in Committee the rights of the mover and the default mechanism. That restores previous practice after it was found that that practice was actually in conflict with the existing Standing Order. 
Secondly the Standing Orders Committee is an unusual committee in that it operates according to a high level of consensus. There is a clear understanding on the Standing Orders Committee that if there is significant objection to any proposed changes then those changes are not proceeded with in the agreed changes that come forward from the select committee. One does not have simple majority voting on the Standing Orders Committee despite the fact that on some occasions there was clear support for certain changes. Those changes were not carried through because there was some objection. I indicated very strongly to the select committee that as long as I am in charge as Leader of the House that will be the view of the Government members on the committee so that we do not simply ram through changes by simple majority in the House—even when that majority exists. 
The major issues I want to dwell on very briefly are firstly the indication by the committee of the degree to which there should be dedicated television coverage of the proceedings within the Chamber and that that coverage is then made available to all the news media. No doubt the Minister of Finance—that is myself—will be looking very carefully at the financial implications of that particular proposal but I can indicate that I have some degree of sympathy with it but not obviously to the exclusion of other important matters such as hip-replacement operations the needs of young children in schools the needs of the elderly and so on and so forth. 
Secondly there is a minor change in relation to proxy votes that assists all parties but which is also a clear recognition of the difficulties for very small parties of keeping somebody in the House at all times able to cast their votes. I thank the members of the committee for the rationality and good sense that prevailed on that particular occasion. 
Thirdly there is a change in relation to urgency on a Thursday whereby if notice is given at the Business Committee of the intention to take urgency on Thursday the House can now sit from 7.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday evening—as opposed to simply lifting at 6 o’clock and not resuming until 9 o’clock the next morning. I think that is sensible. It is a constraint upon the Government to give early notice and my own preference as members know is to wait until we have enough of a build-up of business to be done to take a Tuesday through to Friday urgency sitting in any case. 
Finally there is a small but important change to omnibus bills. It means that it is now clear that an omnibus bill that deals with one issue even though the principal Acts it amends do not deal with a single issue—and very few Acts do deal with a single issue—is still a legitimate omnibus bill to be moved without any special provision. We still retain the other very strict requirement around omnibus bills and we will see how those new procedures work in the meantime. 
I will close with those few brief comments. I think it was an excellent select committee and one that has produced some very useful changes that will smooth the processes of the House while retaining the rights of all parties represented within it.