Australian Parliamentary Committees

-  Currently 19 Committee Rooms inside of Parliament House
-  The committees are made are from the House of Representatives Chamber Committees, the Senate Chamber Committes and Joint Committees from both the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers
-  Each Committee Room is a formal Parliamentary space, however they are never used for debating or voting on legislation
-  The Committee teams are made up of a small number of Paliamentarians with a specific trade
-  They all gather on behalf of Parliament, for issues from the community or current Legislative proposals

Current public involvement:
According to the Parliament of Australia webiste "Public input is also important. Through its committees Parliament is able to be better informed of community problems and attitudes. Committees provide a public forum for the presentation of the various views of individual citizens and interest groups."  (Parliament of Australia, 2011)

List of the Senate Committees:

• Appropriations and Staffing
• Community Affairs
• Economics
• Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
• Environment and Communications
• Finance and Public Administration
• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
• Legal and Constitutional Affairs
• Privileges
• Procedure
• Publications
• Regulations and Ordinances
• Rural Affairs and Transport
• Scrutiny of Bills
• Selection of Bills
• Senators' Interests

 Select Committees:

• Australia's Food Processing Sector
• Scrutiny of New Taxes

Senate Committees

One witness (left) giving evidence, 3 technicians (recording and controlling the proceedings) and 4 Senate Committee members.


List of the House of Representatives Committees:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
• Agriculture, Resources, Fisheries and Forestry
• Appropriations and Administration
• Climate Change, Environment and the Arts
• Economics
• Education and Employment
• Health and Ageing
• Infrastructure and Communications
• Petitions
• Privileges and Members' Interests
• Procedure
• Publications
• Regional Australia
• Selection
• Social Policy and Legal Affairs

List of the Joint Committees:
Administed by the Senate Chamber

• Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity
• Law Enforcement (Formerly Australian Crime Commission)
• Corporations and Financial Services

Select Committees Administered by the Senate Chamber

• Australia’s Immigration Detention Network
• Gambling Reform

Administed by the House of Representatives Chamber

• Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings
• Cyber-Safety (Select)
• Electoral Matters
• Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade
• Intelligence and Security
• Migration
• National Broadband Network
• National Capital and External Territories
• Public Accounts and Audit
• Public Works
• Publications
• Treaties

http://www.aph.gov.au/committee/index.htm

http://www.aph.gov.au/committee/committees_type.htm#joint