Committee members
Mr Thomas Emerson MLAChair | Deputy Chair | Miss Laura Nuttall MLA |
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Contact the committee
You can contact the committee by email lacommitteeSP@parliament.act.gov.au or by calling the Committee Secretary, Katie Langham, on (02) 6207 5498.
The Assembly resolved to establish a standing committee on social policy on 3 December 2024. Please click here to view the current resolution.
The committee is responsible for examining the following areas:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
- Community Services
- Disability
- Early Childhood Development
- Education
- Families
- Health and health services
- Homelessness and housing services
- Intergenerational fairness
- Justice Health
- LGBTIQ+
- Mental health
- Multicultural Affairs
- Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence
- Seniors
- Social Housing
- Veterans
- Women (including the Office for Women)
- Youth Affairs.
Click on the title of an inquiry to be taken through to its dedicated sub-page. Click here to find which committee inquiries are currently open for submission.
| Inquiry | Date started | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiry into endometriosis and other pelvic pain conditions | 8 December 2025 | Ongoing |
| 06. Inquiry into E-PET-077-25: Access to 11-12 ATAR language courses in 2026 | 5 March 2026 | Completed (2 July 2026) |
| 05. Inquiry into men’s suicide rates | 30 April 2025 | Completed (4 June 2026) |
| 04. Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2024-25 | 21 October 2025 | Completed (4 May 2026) |
| 03. Inquiry into E-Petition 007-25: Build a new gym for Lyneham High School | 12 August 2025 | Completed (12 February 2026) |
| 02. Inquiry into Petition 017-25 and E-Petition 005-25: Closure of Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre in Rivett | 23 April 2025 | Completed (17 October 2025) |
| 01. Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2023–24 | 3 December 2024 | Completed (6 May 2025) |
Committees may make statements to the Assembly under Standing Order 246A in relation to matters under their resolution of establishment or inquiries being undertaken by the Committee.
Statements to the Assembly are generally provided by the Committee Chair on behalf of the Committee.
Below is a list of statements and discussion papers presented to the Assembly by the Standing Committee on Social Policy during the Eleventh Assembly.
All bills presented to the Assembly are referred to the relevant standing committee for consideration under Standing Order 174.
The committee must advise the Speaker of its decision to inquire into a bill within three weeks of its presentation to the Assembly, or one week after the relevant scrutiny report is tabled (whichever is later).
Where the committee inquiries into a bill, it must complete its report within three months of the bill’s presentation in the Assembly, except bills presented in the last sitting period of each year where the committee must report within four months of the bill’s presentation.
Below is a list of all bills considered by the Standing Committee on Social Policy during the Eleventh Assembly.
| Referred Bill | Date presented and referred | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioners Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 | 4 December 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 27 January 2026. |
| Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Amendment Bill 2025 | 2 December 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 5 December 2025. |
| Assisted Reproductive Technology Amendment Bill 2025 (No 2) | 28 October 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 4 November 2025. |
| Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Amendment Bill 2025 | 22 October 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 4 November 2025. |
| Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 2) | 4 September 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 9 September 2025. |
| Domestic Violence Agencies (Information Sharing) Amendment Bill 2025 | 8 April 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 29 April 2025. |
| Education Amendment Bill 2025 | 8 April 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 29 April 2025. |
| Tobacco and Other Smoking Products (Vaping Goods) Amendment Bill 2025 | 6 March 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 11 March 2025. |
| Better Regulation (Repeal of Legislation) Bill 2025 | 6 March 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 11 March 2025. |
| Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 | 5 February 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 25 February 2025. |
| Assisted Reproductive Technology Amendment Bill 2025 | 4 February 2025 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 25 February 2025. |
| Variation in Sex Characteristics (Restricted Medical Treatment) Amendment Bill 2024 | 3 December 2024 | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 17 December 2024. |
Pursuant to Standing Order 99A—Petitions or e-petitions with at least 500 signatories from residents/citizens of the Australian Capital Territory are referred to the relevant Assembly standing committee for consideration under Standing Order 99A. In the event that the subject matter of the Petition makes it unclear which committee it should be referred to, the Speaker will determine the appropriate committee.
Below is a list of all petitions referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy in the Eleventh Assembly:
| Referred Petition | Date presented and referred | Responded to Assembly | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-PET-043-26 - Canberra Health Services uniform policy - 'fun scrubs' | 11 June 2026 | No | TBC |
| E-PET-045-26 - Save senior fitness programs at CIT Bruce | 10 June 2026 | No | TBC |
| E-PET-033-26 and PET-040-26 - Funding and multi-year supports to Women's Shed Canberra | 5 May 2026 | No | TBC |
| E-PET-078-25 and PET-041-26 - Make career guidance right for every ACT Year 7-10 public school student | 5 May 2026 | No | TBC |
| E-PET-052-25 and PET-028-26 - South Canberra Veterans Shed Facility (Standing Order 99) | 17 March 2026 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 23 June 2026. |
| E-PET-071-25 and PET-019-26 - Community-based Parkinson's Disease nurse for residents in the ACT | 25 February 2026 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 19 May 2026. |
| E-PET-065-25 – Access to health services for Aboriginal people in the North of Canberra | 5 February 2026 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 19 May 2026. |
| E-PET-077-25 - Access to Year 11 -12 ATAR Language Courses in 2026 | 3 December 2025 | Yes | Committee resolved to undertake an inquiry 3 March 2026. |
| E-PET-051-25 and PET-075-25 - Closure of SDN Bluebell daycare | 28 October 2025 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 4 November 2025. The Committee is considering a range of issues, including the outcome of ongoing activities within the Assembly and at the federal level, that may inform a future self-referred inquiry relating to early childhood education and care. |
| E-PET-037-25 - Keep WWVP Cards free for volunteers | 2 September 2025 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 5 December 2025. |
| E-PET-013-25 and PET-025-25 - Air Conditioning for Canberra High School | 14 May 2025 | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 9 September 2025. |
| E-PET-007-25 - Build a new gym for Lyneham High School | 6 May 2025 | Yes | Committee resolved to undertake an inquiry 12 August 2025. |
| E-Petition 005-25 and Petition 17-25 - Closure of Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre in Rivett | 8 April 2025 (E Petition) 10 April 2025 (Petition) | Yes | Committee resolved to undertake an inquiry 22 April 2025. |
| E-Petition 028-24 and Petition 039-24 - Charnwood-Dunlop School Play Space Upgrades | 3 September 2024 (referred to the Standing Committee on Education and Community Inclusion) | Yes | Committee resolved not to undertake an inquiry 17 December 2024. |


Miss Laura Nuttall MLA