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House of Representatives Standing and Sessional Orders
As at 1 December 2008
Chapter 5. Meeting and adjournment of the House
Chapter outline
This chapter sets out:
- meeting and adjournment times of the House, and
- rules about meeting and adjournment.
Times of meeting
29 Set meeting and adjournment times
- The House shall meet each year in accordance with the program of sittings for that year agreed to by the House, unless otherwise ordered.
- When the House is sitting it shall meet and adjourn at the following times, subject to standing orders 30, 31 and 32:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
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day |
Meeting commences |
adjournment proposed |
House adjourns |
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Monday |
12 noon |
9.30 pm |
10.00 pm |
Tuesday |
2.00 pm |
8.30 pm |
9.00 pm |
Wednesday |
9.00 am |
7.30 pm |
8.00 pm |
Thursday |
9.00 am |
4.30 pm |
5.00 pm |
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30 Changes to meeting times
The Speaker or a Minister may initiate a change to the meeting times of the House in the following circumstances:
- At any time, a Minister may move without notice a motion to set the next meeting of the House.
- A Minister may move on notice a motion to set a future meeting or meetings of the House.
- When the House is not sitting, the Speaker may set an alternative day or hour for the next meeting, and must notify each Member of any change.
Adjournment
31 Automatic adjournment of the House
- At the time set for the adjournment to be proposed in standing order 29, column 3 (times of meeting), the Speaker shall propose the question—
That the House do now adjourn.
This question shall be open to debate-maximum time for the whole debate shall be 30 minutes-and no amendment may be moved.
- If this question is before the House at the time set for adjournment in standing order 29, column 4 (times of meeting) the Speaker shall interrupt the debate and immediately adjourn the House until the time of its next meeting.
- The following qualifications apply:
Division is completed
- If there is a division at the time set for the adjournment to be proposed in standing order 31(a), that division, and any consequent division, shall be completed.
Minister may require question to be put
- If a Minister requires the question to be put immediately it is proposed under paragraph (a), the Speaker must put the question immediately and without debate.
Minister may extend debate
- When the Speaker interrupts the adjournment debate under paragraph (b), a Minister may ask for the debate to be extended by 10 minutes to enable Ministers to speak in reply to matters raised during the debate. After 10 minutes, or if debate concludes earlier, the Speaker shall immediately adjourn the House until the time set for its next meeting.
Question negatived
- If the question is negatived, the House shall resume proceedings from the point of interruption.
Unfinished business
- If the business being debated is not disposed of when the adjournment of the House is proposed, the business shall be listed on the Notice Paper for the next sitting.
32 Adjournment otherwise
- A Minister may move adjournment of the House without notice, and no amendment may be moved to the motion.
- The Speaker may adjourn the House without putting a question if:
- there is no quorum of Members and there has been a count out, as provided in standing order 57; or
- disorder arises, as provided in standing order 95 (grave disorder).
33 Limit on business
No new business may be taken after 10 pm, unless by order of the House before 10 pm.
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