AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TO DOCUMENT ON GOVERNANCE MODEL AT MEETING OF JOINT RULES COMMITTEE ON 18 NOVEMBER 2004

Input from the Speaker:

The Speaker indicated that the document needed to be further refined taking into account, inter alia, the following issues:

 

Input from the ANC (presented by Mr Nel)

Specific proposals:

Page 2:

First paragraph: The reference to "provincial administration" should be replaced by the phrase " provincial government"

 

Third paragraph: The third last sentence to be amended as follows:

" A lack of administrative support to the subcommittees added to the difficulties."

 

Page 3:

 

Page 4:

The organogram was problematic. It had to be made clear that all areas that were listed were separate. For example, portfolio and select committees do not resort under the Joint Rules Committee.

 

Page 5:

In Item 3.2, paragraph (2)(a), "The Oversight Task Team’s reports, relating to a range of key issues such as" had to be substituted with "Matters relating to parliamentary oversight such as", since the Oversight Task Team was not intended to be a permanent structure.

 

Page 6:

Paragraph (i) was misplaced and should be moved to the beginning, for example as the second point, as it was a general statement.

 

Page 7:

Under "Definitions" the issue of the Chief Whips’ Forum required further processing and discussion as to how to operationalise the contact and communication between the whips of the two Houses.

The definition of "Parliamentary Oversight Committee" should be substituted by the following: " - the authority that interprets and oversees implementation of policy formulated by the policy-making authority, and determines the actual level of services".

Input from the DA (presented by Mr Gibson)

Specific proposals:

Page 5:

In Item 3.2, paragraph (1), the word "direct" should be substituted with a more suitable word, for example "advise", as the Joint Rules Committee could not "direct" Parliament on the manner in which it had to conduct its business.

 

Page 6:

The wording as reflected in paragraph (i) be amended as follows: "The Joint Rules Committee will develop overall policy on issues related to the core business of Parliament, subject to the approval of Parliament."

 

Input from the IFP (presented by Mrs Seaton)

Specific proposal:

Page 9:

The phrase "Policy-making Authority" in the top block of the organogram should be deleted and refer only to Parliament.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other agreed adjustments (from Draft Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting of the JRC on 18 November 2004):

AGREED: That -

Compiled by JA Borien