Deputy Chairs of Committees

Readers of the standing orders have occasionally been confused by the relationship between subparagraphs (b) and (d) of paragraph (9) of standing order 25 relating to the legislative and general purpose standing committees.  Paragraph (9) provides for the chairs and deputy chairs of committees.  Subparagraph (b) specifies who is to be elected as the deputy chair of each committee, while subparagraph (d) indicates that the deputy chair is to act as chair when the chair is absent or the position of chair is vacant.  Subparagraph (d), however, begins with a phrase to the effect that each committee is to elect a deputy chair, and this is sometimes mistaken as the primary provision relating to the election of the deputy chair.  To avoid this possible confusion, the committee recommends that subparagraph (d) be amended as follows:

Each committee shall elect one of its members as its deputy chair, and the member so elected The deputy chair shall act as the chair of the committee when the member elected as chair is absent from a meeting of the committee or the position of chair is temporarily vacant.

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