The inner and quieter workings of Parliament are essential to the functioning of our democracy. Photo: Australian Parliament House.
There’s a good reason why our House of Representatives is also known as the People’s House. And yes, we’re talking about the green one.
The House of Reps isn’t just the home of our government – it’s where laws are introduced, public spending is controlled, and most importantly, community concerns are brought to light.
However, no matter how important they are, some tasks simply cannot be handled in formal chambers due to time or complexity.
When this happens, the work gets handed down to specialist groups called Parliamentary Committees.
Committees enable members to access a wide range of community and expert perspectives. They keep Parliament better informed of community issues and attitudes, and provide a public forum for individual citizens and interest groups to present their views.
As the director of committee support for the House of Representatives, Ophelia Tynan’s job is to ensure that every committee and its secretariat staff have all the necessary resources to function effectively.
The House administers 31 committees at any given time, so it’s a busy role. Luckily, Ophelia finds the work deeply rewarding and intrinsically human.
“The House usually doesn’t have time to get right into the weeds of specific issues,” she says.
“It’s the committee’s job to gather evidence, speak to experts, engage with the public, and recommend action to the House based on their findings.
“In essence, they’re a link between Parliament and the people that also informs and influences public policy.”
House committees tend to operate in a bipartisan fashion. Members are keen on finding the right ways to engage people for the overall positive development of various policies.
There are also joint committees, where members of both Houses collaborate on important matters, such as national intelligence and security.
Committees can be permanent (standing) or temporary (select), depending on their focus.
Though it can sometimes fly under the radar due to the prominence of Senate committees and their estimates process, House committee work is no less valuable. Photo: AUSPIC.
One example of how House committees can make a significant impact is found just before the 2022 election campaign, when a select committee was established by the House to examine social media and online safety in Australia.
Members spoke with a range of stakeholders as part of their efforts, including representatives from Australian Public Service agencies, Meta, X (formerly known as Twitter), high-profile victims of online abuse, and the United Kingdom’s House of Lords.
“That committee looked closely at online harm targeting vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, how that harm can occur on a technical or algorithmic level, and the impact on people’s lives as a result,” Ophelia says.
“A number of the committee’s recommendations were adopted by the then Prime Minister’s campaign and talked about as key policies leading up to the election. After the election, many of their recommendations were accepted by the new government as well.
“It shows that committee work has real and lasting impact on how our government makes decisions, especially given the current discourse around online child safety, social media, age restrictions, and the like.”
You can find out more about the House, its members, committees, and the legislative process with How the House Works, a half-day seminar delivered by senior officers of the House.
The seminar is open to everyone, including public servants, educators, academics, legal professionals, community groups, and members of the general public.
“To me, the inner workings of our Houses are the backbone of Parliament,” Ophelia says.
“Doing your part to make meaningful change in Australian society is an empowering experience.
“I think everyone should have at least a basic knowledge of these things, because engaging with committees through public inquiry is the most effective way for all Australians to speak to power, connect with decision makers and have their voice heard.”
The final 2025 session of ‘How the House Works’ will be held on Wednesday, 12 November, at Parliament House and online. To register, visit the House of Representatives.
A list of current House, Senate, and joint committees can be viewed online at Parliament of Australia.
