Cabinet Handbook - The Department of the Prime Minister and ...

ANNEX C – CONDUCT OF CABINET AND CABINET COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Notification of business lists
1. The Cabinet Secretariat submits to the Cabinet Secretary recommendations on the business lists
for meetings to be held in the following two weeks. These proposals take into account the readiness of
compliant submissions for consideration, minutes available for consideration and endorsement,
ministers’ written requests and the relative urgency of items.
2. Once the forward program is approved by the Cabinet Secretary, the Cabinet Secretariat issues to
ministers at least one week in advance:
(a) a business list for each meeting, showing the business to be considered, the ministers
responsible for the items and any ministers or parliamentary secretaries to be co-opted; and
(b) any draft minutes for endorsement based on matters previously considered by a Cabinet
committee.
Notification of non-attendance – delay or absence
3. If a minister does not expect to be available to attend a meeting of the Cabinet or a Cabinet
committee, that minister should advise the Cabinet Secretary in writing prior to the meeting outlining
the reasons for the absence.
Co-option
4. The Cabinet Secretariat provides advice to the Cabinet Secretary on co-option arrangements for
each meeting.
5. Ministers shown on business lists as being co-opted for an item of business attend the Cabinet or
Cabinet committee meeting for the discussion of that item. Those ministers participate fully in the
discussion of that item.
6. Non-Cabinet ministers with a portfolio interest in an item listed for a Cabinet or Cabinet
committee meeting (and who have not been co-opted on the business list) may seek to be co-opted for
the discussion by having the relevant senior portfolio Cabinet minister make a request in writing to the
Cabinet Secretary.
7. Cabinet Secretariat staff (usually the Cabinet Attendant) will inform co-opted ministers when the
meeting is likely to reach their item(s) and call them when required.
Declaring interests
8. Ministers and parliamentary secretaries attending Cabinet or Cabinet committee meetings must,
in relation to the matters under discussion, declare any private interests, pecuniary or non-pecuniary,
held by them, or by members of their immediate family of which they are aware, which give rise to, or
are likely to give rise to, a conflict with their public duties.
9. It is then open to the Chair of the meeting to excuse a minister from the discussion or to agree
expressly to his or her taking part.
10. Any such declarations will be recorded by the Cabinet note takers.
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