Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01868:reg:4:p48
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01868
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 48/63)
Character Range: 476105–478872

all in CRS A3032/1, item PC46/1; contract documents on files CRS 295/1, items 927 and 934; Tanner and Associates, 'Provisional Parliament House Canberra: The Conservation Plan', p. 14-6; Emerton, 'The Case for a Permanent Building', p. 9.
  building and in 1937 had shown that, whatever type of varnish was used, it broke down on the external timber of the Representatives side in 18 months and on the Senate side, which was exposed to the westering sun, in a mere six months. With no varnish coating applied to the external woodwork for much of the war, it deteriorated badly in this period. In 1949, moves were commenced to protect and conceal the weathered external timbers by painting them.53

  Despite the welcome augmentation of office space provided by alterations and the construction of the two new wings, accommodation in the provisional building remained at a premium. As early as February 1943, HC Barnard, the Member for Bass, addressed a question to the Minister for Post-War Reconstruction, Ben Chifley, as to whether there were any plans to erect a permanent parliamentary building, in view of the shortage of accommodation in the existing structure. Chifley replied that the matter would be considered as part of the program of post-war reconstruction. Three years later, however, Harold Holt put a similar question to him, pointing out that a new building would be needed if a mooted increase in the number of parliamentarians went ahead. Responding, Chifley said that no decision had been made and again promised that the matter would be considered, this time by Minister for Works and Housing.54 In the end, no decision was forthcoming and the whole question of a permanent building was soon overtaken by the march of events. The pressure on Provisional Parliament House now threatened to become intolerable unless urgent steps were taken to enlarge the building again.

  The development which led to the enlargement was a long-overdue decision to increase the numbers of parliamentarians. When the Commonwealth was first established in 1901, the Constitution stipulated that the number of parliamentarians would be determined on the basis of a quota obtained by dividing the nation's population by twice the number of senators; the Constitution further laid down that the number of members should be as nearly as possible double the number of senators. By 1948, the nation's population had more than doubled since 1901 leading to a corresponding increase in the number of people each member was expected to represent and a resultant growth in their workload. To redress the situation, the number of senators was raised to 60 in 1948 and, thereupon, the number of members to 121, thus giving a total number of parliamentarians of 181.55 This was