Chapter 10 - Debate
New
senator’s first speech
Special conventions of debate apply to
the first speech of a new senator. It is expected that the Senate chamber will
be well attended for a first speech, and that the new senator will be heard
without interjection or interruption. The corollary of this convention is that
a first speech should not directly criticise other senators or otherwise
provoke interjections or points of order. It is customary for other senators to
congratulate a new senator on a first speech.
In recent years there has been a practice of passing a special order to
allow senators to make their first speeches without any question before the
chair. In the past it was the practice to rearrange business to bring on some
item of business for the occasion of new senators’ first speeches so that those
senators would not be unduly restricted by the requirement of relevance. Orders
of the day for the resumption of adjourned debates on matters such as the
address-in-reply to the Governor-General’s opening speech and motions to take
note of budget statements were often employed for this purpose.
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