Guide to presenting an oral submission

  • Any Parliamentary Select committee can invite those who completed a written submission to present it (as an oral submission) in front of the Committee members. You can choose whether you wish to do this or not.
  • If you decide to make an oral submission for yourself or on behalf of your organisation, you can invite people to present with you. To start, find out the lists of Members sitting in the Select Committee.  It is good to prepare by knowing their backgrounds, such as their roles and experiences.
  • An oral submission is often brief (around 5 - 10 minutes). You can use this time to strengthen the points you made in your written submission as well as provide additional arguments.
  • Check how they want you to present. Often, there is no projector and therefore you need to print out your presentation. Before the date of oral submission, send your presentation to the secretariat of the Select Committee. On the day, prepare 15 hard copies for the Committee members. This is also a good chance for you to prepare any supplementary documents (e.g. research papers) you would like to provide them.
  • More and more often, you can also present via telephone or teleconference.
  • After your presentation, expect Committee members to ask you questions. Be prepared and understand your written submission. It is okay if you cannot answer their questions, you could always ask for the opportunity to go away and find the answer for them.

TIP The New Zealand Parliament has a good guideline on presenting an oral submission (please see pages 12-14)


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