Standing Orders — Sessional

Following agreement in the Business Committee yesterday, I seek leave for the following sessional orders to be adopted: that following the coming into force of this sessional order, where the member in whose name a member’s bill stands postpones the order of the day for its first reading for a second or subsequent time, on the members’ day on which the bill next becomes available for debate, it is set down for first reading after all other orders of the day for the first reading of members’ bills, with Standing Order 71 to be read accordingly; and that the number of orders of the day for the first readings of members’ bills that may be before the House at any one time be increased from four to six, with Standing Order 272(1) and (4) to be read accordingly.

These provisions have been agreed to after considerable discussion by the members of the Business Committee, representing the whole of Parliament. Last year we faced a situation where members exercised their right to withdraw bills on a members’ day, which left us with a relatively short amount of work to do and the loss of considerable parliamentary time. This is a compromise between the need for some members to postpone bills because various facets of their support are not in place and ensuring that the time the House sets aside for the hearing of members’ bills, and the opportunity for members to advance bills, is not unduly affected.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.