Chapter 7 - Meetings
of the Senate
Opening
of a new Parliament
The following procedures are followed
for the opening of the first session of a new Parliament following a
dissolution of the House of Representatives or of both Houses and a subsequent
election (SO 1(1)).
At the hour (usually 10.30 or 11 am) named in the Governor-General’s
proclamation, the President (except
following a dissolution of the Senate when there is no President: see below)
takes the chair and the Clerk of the Senate reads the Proclamation summoning
Parliament. (See Supplement)
The
Governor-General appoints one or more persons, usually justices of the
High Court, as deputies in relation to certain aspects of the opening of
Parliament (Constitution s. 42
and s. 126). The
deputies attend and request the attendance of the Members of the House of
Representatives in the Senate chamber. When the members of the House of
Representatives have assembled in the Senate chamber, the Clerk of the Senate then reads the
commission appointing the deputies.
The senior deputy
then announces that after members of the House of Representatives, senators
representing the territories and any new senators appointed to fill casual
vacancies have been sworn and the House has elected a Speaker, “the causes of
His Excellency calling this Parliament will be declared by him in person at
this place” later that day. The deputy then retires and subsequently proceeds
to the House of Representatives to administer the prescribed oath or
affirmation to members of that House.
Should there be no President in office the senior deputy administers
the oath or affirmation of allegiance to senators taking their seats for the
first time (for an ordinary general election the territory senators and any
appointees to casual vacancies).
If there is a President in office, the President ordinarily administers
the oath or affirmation to such senators; the commission to administer the oath
or affirmation is usually given by the Governor‑General to the President
following the election of a senator to that office.
The President (or
the Clerk if there is no President) tables the certificate of election of
territory senators and certificates of the filling of vacancies, if any.
Senators taking their seats for the first time then come to the Table to be
sworn or make an affirmation and to sign the oath or affirmation form.
Except at openings of Parliament subsequent to a dissolution of both
Houses it is normally the case that the only senators taking their seats for
the first time and requiring to be sworn at the opening of Parliament are
senators representing the territories and senators appointed to fill casual
vacancies. Procedures for the swearing of senators newly elected to fill
periodical vacancies are described below and in Chapter 6, Senators.
If the office of
President is vacant on the opening of Parliament, the Senate then proceeds to
elect a President (see Chapter 5, Officers of the Senate: Parliamentary
Administration). After the President has been elected, the Leader of the
Government in the Senate announces when and where the Governor‑General
will receive the President.
The sitting of the Senate is then suspended until such time as the
Governor‑General has appointed to declare in person the reasons for
calling the Parliament together (that is, to make the opening speech).
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