(fwd) Re: Its not too late for Senate Submissions!!!!!

Janet Whitaker (jwhit@primenet.com)
Thu, 10 Apr 1997 15:30:09 -0700 (MST)

This is a posting from David Maddison to the aus.censorship newsgroup
[thanks, David!] citing two very interesting aspects of the rules
governing submissions to Parliament [see below]. I'm most interested in
linker views on the second one which states that submissions cannot be
published anywhere else without the committee's permission. I'm not so
concerned about losing the Parliamentary Privilege aspect, but to be held
in contempt of Parliament [however ludicrous that might seem], it's still
a frightening aspect of the rules.

What does that mean for submissions that are posted to web sites?

Jan

From: maddison@connexus.apana.org.au (David S. Maddison)
Newsgroups: aus.censorship,aus.org.efa
Subject: Re: Its not too late for Senate Submissions!!!!!
Date: 10 Apr 1997 05:42:46 GMT
Organization: connexus.apana.org.au

I forgot to metion, there a guidelines to assist in your submission at
http://senate.aph.gov.au/committee/bro_one.html .

If necessary, it is possible to request that your name not be published.

Also, submissions are made under Parliamentary Privilege. This is about as
close as a mere citizen can get to free speech. It says the following:

7. The protections and requirements of the Parliamentary Privileges Act
1987 are drawn to your attention. They are detailed in another brochure.
Briefly, for the purpose of a committee's inquiry, unless otherwise
decided, a written submission may be deemed by the committee to be the
giving of evidence. Its presentation to the committee and the committee's
publication and circulation of it attracts the protection of parliamentary
privilege. Thus, no action of any kind may be taken against a person for
making a submission and no submission may be used in courts or tribunals
to question the truth, motives or credibility of any person.

8. Once a submission has been received by a committee it must not be
published or disclosed to any other person in that form without the
committee's authorisation. If its publication is not authorised not only
is it not protected by parliamentary privilege but publication may also be
a contempt of Parliament.

David Maddison

-- 
Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates     \--------/ - jwhit@primenet.com
Educational Technology Consultant / - Video and Computer Specialties
Melbourne, VIC, Australia   \----/ - http://www.primenet.com/~jwhit/
Voice: (+613)9592-5752       \--/