Chapter 8 - Conduct
of proceedings
Interruption
of business
Business the consideration of which is
interrupted, for example, by the calling on of other business at a prescribed
time or the putting of the question for the adjournment of the Senate at the
time specified in the standing orders, is deemed to have been adjourned. If the
interruption occurs in the course of the day the adjournment is till a later
time of the day. If interrupted business is not reached later in the day, or
the adjournment of the Senate intervenes, the business is listed on the Notice
Paper as business for the next day of sitting (SO 68).
In practice, where debate is on a non-substantive question which does
not require a definite decision of the Senate, and it would not be rational to
retain the item on the Notice Paper, the Chair puts the question when the time
for debate has expired. An example is a motion to take note of a question after
question time.
Standing order 68(2)(c) provides
that if a vote is being taken the vote shall be completed. This is taken to
refer to the whole process of determining a question, so that if the process of
determining the question has commenced it is concluded when the time has
expired. Thus, on 28 August 1997 in debate on an opposition general business motion
concerning tariffs, the motion to close debate was put just before the time for
the debate expired. The division on the closure was then concluded. That motion
having been carried, this started the process of determining the question. The
process was then completed by putting the amendment on the question and then
putting the main question.
Urgency motions under standing order 75 are subject to
the special provision in paragraph (7) whereby the question on an urgency
motion is put when the time expires.
Previous page | Contents | Next page
Website feedback: web.senate@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 2 February 2010 by the Senate Web Administrator
© Commonwealth of Australia
Parliament of Australia Web Site Privacy Statement
Images courtesy of AUSPIC
|
