Commonwealth act

Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1917

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

26 of 1917

Collection

act

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

This short 1917 law fixes a procedural timing issue for appointing a parliamentary committee during World War I.

What it does:

Normally, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (a group of MPs who check whether major government building projects are worth the money) had to be appointed during the first session of a new Parliament under the 1913-1914 Act.
This Act creates a one-time exception for the 7th Parliament, allowing the Committee to be appointed during the Second Session instead.

Why it matters: It provided flexibility during the First World War (1917) when parliamentary schedules and priorities were disrupted, ensuring the public works oversight committee could still be established even if the normal deadlines were missed.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1917.

Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1917

COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.

No. 26 of 1917.

An Act to provide for the appointment of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works during the Second Session of the Seventh Parliament of the Commonwealth.

[Assented to 21st September, 1917.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1917.

Appointment of committee during Seventh Parliament of the Commonwealth.

Notwithstanding anything contained in section three of the Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1913-1914 the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, to be appointed during the Seventh Parliament of the Commonwealth, may be appointed during the Second Session of that Parliament, and shall be appointed as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Commonwealth Public Works Committee Act 1917