Standing Committee on Public Administration (1996 - 2001)

Legislative Council

Title & summary	Status
No inquiries

Report No	Title	Date tabled
18	Overview Report 2000	23 Nov 2000
17	Parliament and Commercial Confidentiality: Contracts Between the Public and Private Sectors	22 Nov 2000
16	The Remedies Available to Recipients of Contracted-Out Government Services	5 Sep 2000
15	The Appeals and Review Processes for Western Australian Universities	1 Jun 2000
14	Inquiry into Government Proposals for the Sale or Lease of Westrail Freight Operations	21 Sep 1999
13	Outsourcing and Contracting Out: Investigations in the United Kingdom	15 Sep 1999
12	The Administration of Environmental Complaints Relating to Public Health: A Case Study	15 Sep 1999
11	The Labour Relations Legislation Amendment Act 1997 and Labour Relations Legislation Amendment (No.2) Bill 1997	24 Jun 1999
10	The Distribution Adjustment Assistance Scheme and the Committee's Third and Sixth Reports	10 Dec 1998
9	School Education Bill 1997	25 Sep 1998
8	Government Domestic Air Travel and Associated Reservations Contract ("DATC")	27 Aug 1998
7	School Education Bill 1997	5 Aug 1998
6	Distribution Adjustment Assistance Scheme (DAAS) Guidelines	18 Jun 1998
5	Hairdressers Registration Repeal Bill 1997	23 Dec 1997
4	The events surrounding the denial of tenure to the late Dr David Rindos by the University of Western Australia	4 Dec 1997
3	The Distribution Adjustment Assistance Scheme (DAAS)	27 Nov 1997
2	Scrutiny of Out-Sourcing and Contracting Out in the United Kingdom	25 Jun 1997
1	Review of Operations for the Fourth Session of the 34th Parliament for the Standing Committee on Government Agencies	18 Jun 1997

Title & summary	Status
Agriculture Protection Board - Complaints of Ill-Health from Chemical Spraying in the Kimberley Region	Past
Land Clearing Applications	Past
Recording of Interests in Authorisations under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994	Past

Purpose of undertakings

When the Committee finds an issue in delegated legislation, it may request an undertaking from the relevant local government or Minister to fix the issue (for example, by amending the delegated legislation).

A person or body giving an undertaking commits to do certain actions within a certain timeframe, for example to:

amend delegated legislation within a certain timeframe (usually 6 months) and not enforce it in the meantime;
provide a copy of the undertakings wherever the delegated legislation is publicly available (such as at a local government office or on a website);
provide a copy of the minutes of the meeting at which the council of a local government resolved to provide an undertaking.

Giving an undertaking to a Parliamentary Committee is a serious matter. A failure to comply with an undertaking may be reported to the Legislative Council for further action.

Title & summary	Status
No proceedings

Committee members

Chairman:	Hon. Kimberley (Kim) Maurice Chance MLC
Deputy Chairman:	Hon. Barbara Mary Scott MLC
Members:	Mr Dexter Davies MLC Hon. Cheryl Davenport MLC Hon. Barry House MLC Ms Helen Hodgson MLC
Staff:	Ms Christina Eftos, LLB (Advisory Officer) Ms Kate Fitzgerald, B. Comm (Committee Clerk)

Terms of Reference

1.	A Standing Committee on Public Administration is established.
2.	The committee consists of 6 members.
3.	The functions of the committee are:

	(1)	to inquire into and report to the House on the means of establishing agencies, the roles, functions, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of agencies and, generally, the conduct of public administration by or through agencies, including the relevance and effectiveness of applicable law and administrative practises; and
	(2)	to consider and report on any bill referred to it by the House providing for the creation, alteration or abolition of an agency, including abolition or alteration by reason of privatization.
	(3)	Except as provided in SO 339 (c), the committee shall not proceed to an inquiry whose sole or principal object would involve consideration of matters that fall within the purview, or are a function, of another committee.

4.	In this order: "Agency" means -

	(a)	an agent or instrumentality of the State Government, established for the purpose of developing, implementing or administering any program or policy with a public purpose or any such program or policy that relies substantially for its development, implementation or administration on public monies or revenue;
	(b)	any person empowered by a written law to make a decision enforceable at law whether by that person or otherwise, and, where appropriate, includes any agency officer or employee acting, or having ostensible authority to act, as the agent or delegate of the agency, but does not include:
	(c)	a House of the Parliament, or any committee or member of either House, or any officer or employee of a department of the Parliament;
	(d)	a court of law or a court of record, or a judge or other member of either court;
	(e)	any person whose functions are solely of an advisory nature and the failure to obtain or act in accordance with advice given by that person does not invalidate or make voidable a decision made by another person;
	(f)	a police officer or other person in the course of exercizing a power conferred by a written law to arrest or charge a person with the commission of an offence, or to enter premises and seize or detain any object or thing;
	(g)	a local government within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1995.

The Committee was formed in November 1996 following the disestablishment of the former Standing Committee on Government Agencies, which had been in operation since April 1982. The primary objective of the Committee is to inquire into and report to the House on the means of establishing government agencies; the roles, functions, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of agencies; and, generally, the conduct of public administration by or through agencies, including the relevance and effectiveness of applicable law and administrative practises.

In addition, the Committee currently has a particular interest in out-sourcing, and the contracting out of government services. The Committee is mindful of the issues raised by the contracting out process, such as the apportionment of liability, the allocation of risk, and precisely which party is responsible when disputes arise as to non-performance, or unsatisfactory performance, of a particular service or contractual obligation. The Committee maintains a close interest in the implications of these processes on the delivery and quality of public services.