Chapter 8 - Conduct
of proceedings
New business
New business may not be commenced after the question for the adjournment of the
Senate has been first put on any sitting day (SO 64). The purpose of
this rule is to promote certainty in the conduct of business; senators should
be able to assume that business in which they have an interest will not be
commenced after the prescribed adjournment time. New business means any
business on which the Senate is not engaged at the time when the adjournment is
put. This means that, if the adjournment of the Senate is deferred and the
Senate continues to transact business after that time, the only business dealt
with is the business on which the Senate was engaged at that time.
This prohibition may, however, be suspended by motion on notice or by
an absolute majority of senators (see under Suspension of standing orders,
below), and this may occur at the end of a period of sittings due to the
pressure of business (a contingent
notice has been used for
this purpose: 16/6/1992, J.2444). Such a motion must be moved before the question for the
adjournment is put, but there are precedents for the motion being moved by
leave after the adjournment is put (see under Leave of the Senate, below).
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