Legislative Assembly Standing Orders

Standing Orders

These are the current standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. They were adopted by resolution on 4 March 2004, to be operational from 29 March 2004, with all previous standing orders repealed from that date.

The Assembly adopted them after considering the Standing Orders Committee's Report on the Modernisation of Standing Orders . That report included cross-references between the proposed standing orders and the then current standing orders. The Assembly made some amendments to the proposed standing orders before they were adopted. The Assembly has made some amendments to the standing orders since 2004.

Joint Standing Orders/Joint Rules of Practice

The joint standing orders and joint rules of practice of the Parliament were adopted by the Legislative Assembly on 9 August 2006 and by the Legislative Council on 22 August 2006. They are operational from the first sitting day of the 56th Parliament, 19 December 2006. Their adoption followed consideration of the Standing Orders Committee’s Review of the Joint Standing Orders of the Parliament of Victoria. The report contained proposed joint standing orders and joint rules of practice as recommended by the Standing Orders Committees of both Houses. Some minor amendments were agreed to by the Houses at the time of adoption.

Chapter 1     General Rule
1 Relationship with other orders and practices
Chapter 2 Opening of Parliament
2 Opening of a new Parliament
3 Opening of a new session
4 Governor's speech
5 Resumption of business after the suspension
Chapter 3 Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Acting Speakers
6 When Speaker to be elected
7 Chairing the election
8 Nominations
9 Withdrawal of candidate
10 Voting procedure
11 Counting the votes
12 Restriction on discussion of other matters
13 Identifying the successful candidate
14 Resolving tie of two candidates for first place
15 Resolving tie for smallest number of votes
16 Preservation of voting papers
17 Speaker takes the Chair
18 Election of a Deputy Speaker
19 Temporary relief of Speaker
20 Panel of Acting Speakers
21 Absence of Speaker
22 Electing an Acting Deputy Speaker
Chapter 4 Attendance and Places of Members
23 Introduction of new members
24 Front benches
25 Allocation of seats
26 Notification of absence
27 Members list
Chapter 5 Sittings and Adjournment of the House
28 Initial quorum
29 Lack of quorum in the House
30 Disposal of business on adjournment for lack of quorum
31 When the House may adjourn
32 Interruption at for adjournment
33 Adjournment debate
Chapter 6 Business
34 Precedence of government business
35 Business not on opening day
36 Order of business
37 Other business during MPI time
38 Grievance debate
39 Matters of public importance
40 Statements by members
41 Statements on parliamentary committee reports
42 Condolences
43 Ministerial statements
Chapter 7 Petitions
44 Procedure for presenting petitions
45 Content of petitions
46 Attachments to petitions
47 Offence to add names of others
48 Time for presenting petitions
49 Reading of petitions
50 Clerk announces petitions
51 Dealing with petitions
52 Copy of petition to responsible minister
Chapter 8 Questions Seeking Information
53 Questions to ministers or other members
54 Questions on notice
55 Question time
56 Language of questions
57 Content of questions
58 Content of answers
Chapter 9 Bills
59 Introduction of a bill
60 Irregular bill to be withdrawn
61 First reading and printing of a bill
62 Question for second reading
63 Reasoned amendment to second reading
64 Circulation of amendments
65 Procedure following second reading
66 Sequence in which bill to be considered in detail
67 Amendments during consideration in detail
68 No discussion of select committee proceedings
69 Reconsideration in detail
70 Certificate of Clerk
71 Third reading
72 Amendments to third reading
73 Adjourning the third reading
74 Bill passed
75 Consequential renumbering of bills
76 Message sent to Council
77 Amendments received from Council
78 Consideration of Council amendments
79 Governor's amendment
80 Bills from previous session
81 Corrections to bills
82 Bills altering Constitution
83 Speaker may rule that a bill is a private bill
84 Objection to private bill
85 Promoter of private bill to pay for its cost
86 Procedures for private bills
Chapter 10 Financial Procedures
87 Introduction of finance bills
88 Appropriation proposals to be recommended
89 Limitation on amendments increasing appropriation
90 Proposing a tax
91 Divisions in schedule to Appropriation Bill
92 Presentation of Appropriation Bills
93 Council's powers to impose fees
Chapter 11 Government Business Program
94 Agreement of program
95 Amendment to program
96 Circulation of amendments under the program
97 Interruption at completion time
98 Specified business or bill at the interruption
99 Non-specified business or bill at the interruption
100 Procedure for remaining items
101 Where questions cannot be combined
102 Points of order and motions
Chapter 12 Rules of Debate
103 Members to stand
104 Member's right to speak
105 When members can no longer speak
106 Motion that a member be no longer heard
107 No referring to debate in Council
108 No member to be referred to by name
109 Keeping to the subject
110 Irrelevant material or tedious repetition
111 Speaking rights of member moving the adjournment
112 Member may not speak twice
113 Reply closes debate
114 Interrupting debate
115 Order to be maintained by the Speaker
116 Speaker to be heard
117 Entry to Chamber
118 Imputations and personal reflections
119 No offensive language against other members
120 Objection to words
121 Moving around the Chamber
122 Members not to read newspapers
123 Personal explanations
Chapter 13 Disorder
124 Chair ordering member to withdraw
125 Naming a member
126 Procedure following naming
127 Suspension of member following naming
128 Directions to Serjeant-at-Arms
129 Grave disorder
130 Contempt
Chapter 14 Time Limits
131 Time limit of speeches
132 Right of reply to debate
Chapter 15 Limitation on Debate
133 Declaration of urgent bill
134 Declaration of urgent motion
135 Debate on allotment of time
136 Time set for urgent bills and motions
137 Proceedings to conclude at a set time
138 Precedence of urgent bill or motion
139 Urgent bill or motion not to be interrupted
Chapter 16 Notices of Motion
140 Giving notice
141 Consecutive notices
142 Giving notice for another member
143 Another member moving a member's motion
144 Notice lapses
145 Leave for tabling without notice
146 Precedence of notices of motion
Chapter 17 Motions and Questions
147 Order of the day defined
148 Consideration of orders of the day
149 Further consideration of motions or orders
150 Precedence of motions
151 Motion on disallowance of subordinate legislation
152 Rules relating to motions
153 Putting the question
154 Restrictions on further motions
155 Closure motions
156 Rescission
Chapter 18 Amendments, General Principles
157 Motion to amend
158 Procedure for inserting, adding or omitting words
159 Substituting words
160 Order of moving amendments to figures
161 Main motion
Chapter 19 Divisions
162 Resolving a question
163 Party vote unless a conscience issue
164 Procedure for a division
165 Procedure for a party vote
166 Procedure for a personal vote
167 Casting vote
168 Points of order
169 Error in tally
170 Pecuniary interest
Chapter 20 Tabling of Documents
171 Orders for documents and records
172 Documents from the Governor
173 Other methods of tabling documents
174 Documents presented by member
175 Documents to be given to Clerk
176 Documents not presented under an Act
177 Printing of documents
Chapter 21 Messages and Addresses
178 Agreeing to an address proposed by the Council
179 Addresses to the Governor
180 Addresses to the Sovereign
181 Message announced by Speaker or Chair
182 Governor's answer to an address
Chapter 22 Strangers
183 When strangers not allowed
184 Withdrawal of strangers
185 Discipline of strangers
186 Discharge of a person arrested
Chapter 23 Witnesses
187 Attendance of member before the House
188 Attendance of member before a select committee
189 Request for Council member or officer to attend
190 Summoning a witness
191 Witness in prison
192 Select committee summons procedure
193 Failure or refusal to attend
194 Oath
195 Examination before the House
196 Evidence of witnesses protected
197 Officers not to give evidence without leave
198 Council request for Assembly member or officer to attend
199 Information regarding improper conduct of a member
200 Interference with witnesses and false evidence
Chapter 24 Select Committees
201 Appointment
202 Number of members
203 Quorum
204 Speaker and Deputy Speaker to consent
205 Notice for appointment of a select committee
206 Ballot for appointment to select committee
207 Members discharged and added
208 List of members
209 Meetings of select committees
210 Election of Chair and Deputy Chair
211 Absence of Chair and Deputy Chair
212 Casting vote
213 Quorum
214 Power to send for persons, documents and other things
215 Subcommittee of a select committee
216 Deliberations in private
217 Disclosure of evidence and other documents
218 Unreported evidence
219 Recording of evidence
220 Record of proceedings of committee
221 Chair to prepare draft report
222 Proceedings on consideration of draft report
223 Minority report
224 Report tabled
225 Interim reports
226 Report of Standing Orders Committee
Chapter 25 Citizen's right of reply
227 Citizen's right of reply procedure
Chapter 26 Records of the House
228 Votes and Proceedings
229 Reproduction of parliamentary documents
230 Printing and distribution of documents
231 Documents and evidence not tabled
Chapter 27 Broadcasting of proceedings
232 Broadcasting rules
Time Limits Summary of Time Limits
Joint Standing Orders Standing Orders covering both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council
Joint Rule of Practice 1 Joint sittings held under the Constitution Act 1975 s 65G
Joint Rule of Practice 2 Joint sittings held under the Constitution Act 1975 s 27A
Footnotes Footnotes for the Legislative Assembly Standing Orders

 

 

 

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 February 2011