Page 416 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 February 2013
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Standing orders
Statement by Speaker
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I would like to make a statement in relation to the application of standing order 178A. Standing order 178A requires that amendments be delivered to the office of the Clerk 24 hours prior to the sitting at which the amendments are proposed to be moved. The intent of the standing order is to ensure that all members have sufficient time to consider proposed amendments prior to them being debated in the Assembly.
The standing order as worded presently, however, does raise some ambiguity as to when an amendment is to be lodged with the Clerk. Unless otherwise directed by the Assembly, I intend to rule that amendments comply with standing order 178A if they have been lodged with the Clerk by 10 am prior to the day of sitting, 10 am being 24 hours prior to the commencement of the sitting day.
Accordingly, as Mr Rattenbury’s proposed amendments to the Public Unleased Land Bill 2012 were not delivered to the Clerk before 10 am yesterday, I rule the amendments do not comply with standing order 178A.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development), by leave: Madam Speaker, with your indulgence I would like to respond to your ruling. I agree with you that there is some ambiguity in this standing order, and I think it is reasonable for you to interpret the standing order in the way you have just outlined in your ruling.
However, I think that there is a need for the Assembly to reflect on whether or not 10 am is an appropriate time. Therefore, I would take the opportunity to indicate to members that I have placed on the notice paper a proposed amendment to the standing order to clarify that the relevant time should be midday on the day prior to the relevant sitting day. But that would be a matter that the Assembly can debate at a later time.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you for that advice, Mr Corbell. This is becoming a discussion, but I think it is appropriate because it is a new standing order. I was advised that the strict interpretation could be that the standing order would not be complied with unless something had been received by one minute past midnight on the day before, because it does say “the sitting day”. I think that it is something that needs clarification. In the meantime I propose that 10 am should be the time, because it is logical.
Mr Corbell: I understand.
Public Unleased Land Bill 2012
Detail stage
Bill as a whole.
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