205  Quarrels between senators

The Senate may intervene to prevent the prosecution of a quarrel between senators arising out of debates or proceedings of the Senate or of a committee.

Amendment history

Adopted: 19 August 1903 as SO 433 but renumbered as SO 428 for the first printed edition

1989 revision: Old SO 443 renumbered as SO 205; language modernised including by substituting “The Senate may intervene …” for “The Senate will interfere …”

Commentary

Based on Victorian models, this standing order has never been formally invoked in respect of a quarrel between senators, although several famous quarrels have been noted in the authorities.[1] See Procedural Information Bulletin, No. 195, 14 October 2005, p.5, for a more recent example.[2]

Senator Thomas Crawford (UAP, Qld), involved in a notorious quarrel with Senator Foll (Source: National Library of Australia)

Senator Hattil (Harry) Foll (UAP, Qld) (Source: Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook)