1. STUART NASH (Labour) Link to this
to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee
What is the expected report-back date for the Student Loan Scheme Bill?
CRAIG FOSS (Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee) Link to this
The report-back date for the bill is 14 April 2011.
Did he recommend to the Finance and Expenditure Committee that the report-back date be deferred to take on board proposed changes to the student loan scheme?
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. You have ruled in relation to various questions to members recently that items that are before a committee are obviously part of the committee’s business and you have ruled out those questions.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Mr Speaker, you have very specifically ruled that actions of the chair in relation to the chair’s responsibilities and the chair’s recommendations are matters on which the chair can be questioned.
Mr SPEAKERI appreciate the advice from the Hon Trevor Mallard. It has been my view in my rulings in the past that when, for example, the chair might choose to call for further submissions, the chair can be questioned about that. So the chair can be questioned in relation to actions of the chair that are the chair’s responsibility. I do not think the question should be ruled out. Unless members believe that I have got that issue wrong, I believe that the question was in order. I will have a look at the note the Clerk has prepared for me. The advice I have is that the committee’s consideration is confidential to the committee. If such a recommendation is part of the confidential proceedings, then the chair cannot be questioned on that. I accept absolutely that we are getting down to a pretty fine line here. I will listen to the supplementary question again.
Did the chair recommend to the Finance and Expenditure Committee that the report-back date be deferred to take on board proposed changes to the student loan scheme?