Legislative Assembly

Role of the Committees

The role of parliamentary committees is to investigate matters on behalf of Parliament. Committees are comprised of a number of parliamentarians from both government and non-government parties and usually consist of a majority of government members.

Committees are extensions of Parliament and operate according to the authority delegated to them. They are governed in their proceedings by procedures and practices which reflect those that prevail in the Parliament.

The principal purpose of a Parliamentary Committee is to perform functions that the whole of the Assembly is not able to perform. These functions include:

obtaining information from individuals, organisations and Government agencies.
receiving advice from experts on matters under investigation.
promoting public awareness and debates on matters being considered by Parliament.
providing a public forum for the presentation of views from individuals or interest groups.
ascertaining facts of a specific case.
examining witnesses, compiling and examining evidence, and making recommendation to the Legislative Assembly.

Committees can enable direct contact between members of the public and Members of the Legislative Assembly through calling public meetings and calling for submissions on issues relating to community concern and interest.

The work of Committees is supported by a secretariat. The Secretariat provides Committees with advice and administrative, analytical and research support. From time to time, secondees from Government agencies or specialist advisers may be used to assist in respect of one particular inquiry or in more general terms.

There are three types of Committees in the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory: Standing, Sessional and Select.

Standing Committees
A Standing Committee is appointed for the duration of a Parliamentary term and is usually re-established in successive Parliaments as it has a continuing role. The terms of reference are documented in sections 17-21 of the Standing Orders and may be amended by resolution of the Parliament.

Sessional Committees
A Sessional Committee is appointed for a term of an Assembly and automatically expires at the end of the term of the Parliament. It may be re-appointed at the commencement of a new term if the Assembly deems it appropriate.

Select Committees
A Select Committee is appointed by the Assembly for a specific purpose and, after its report has been present, it is disbanded.

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