Editing Australian Senate (section)

====Committees====
{{Main|Australian Senate committees}}
[[Image:AustralianSenateCommitteeRm.JPG|thumb|alt=A meeting room containing a large horseshoe-shaped desk, with red leather office chairs surrounding its outside edge, a microphone mounted in the desk in front of each chair|A Senate committee room in Parliament House, Canberra]]
[[File:Australian Parliament Parliamentary Committees.webm|thumb|left|A short video on Australian Parliamentary Committees]]
In addition to the work of the main chamber, the Senate also has a large number of [[Australian Senate committees|committees]] which deal with matters referred to them by the Senate. These committees also conduct hearings three times a year in which the government's budget and operations are examined. These are known as estimates hearings. Traditionally dominated by scrutiny of government activities by non-government senators, they provide the opportunity for all senators to ask questions of ministers and public officials. This may occasionally include government senators examining activities of independent publicly funded bodies, or pursuing issues arising from previous governments' terms of office. There is however a convention that senators do not have access to the files and records of previous governments when there has been an election resulting in a change in the party in government. Once a particular inquiry is completed the members of the committee can then produce a report, to be tabled in Parliament, outlining what they have discovered as well as any recommendations that they have produced for the Government to consider.<ref name = "odgcom">{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_16 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 16 – Committees |date=2017 |access-date=19 March 2017 |archive-date=20 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052009/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_16 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The ability of the Houses of Parliament to establish committees is referenced in Section 49 of the Constitution, which states, "The powers, privileges, and immunities of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, and of the members and the committees of each House, shall be such as are declared by the Parliament, and until declared shall be those of the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom, and of its members and committees, at the establishment of the Commonwealth."<ref name="con49">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act|49}}</ref><ref name = "odgcom"/>

Parliamentary committees can be given a wide range of powers. One of the most significant powers is the ability to summon people to attend hearings in order to give evidence and submit documents. Anyone who attempts to hinder the work of a Parliamentary committee may be found to be in [[contempt of Parliament]]. There are a number of ways that witnesses can be found in contempt, these include; refusing to appear before a committee when summoned, refusing to answer a question during a hearing or to produce a document, or later being found to have lied to or misled a committee. Anyone who attempts to influence a witness may also be found in contempt.<ref name="com">{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_4_-_Committees |title=Infosheet 4 – Committees |publisher=aph.gov.au |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-date=17 October 2016 |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161017121253/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_4_-_Committees |url-status=live }}</ref> Other powers include the ability to meet throughout Australia, to establish subcommittees and to take evidence in both public and private hearings.<ref name = "odgcom"/>

Proceedings of committees are considered to have the same legal standing as proceedings of Parliament. They are recorded by [[Hansard]], except for private hearings, and also operate under [[Parliamentary privilege]]. Every participant, including committee members and witnesses giving evidence, is protected from being prosecuted under any civil or criminal action for anything they may say during a hearing. Written evidence and documents received by a committee are also protected.<ref name="com"/><ref name = "odgcom"/>