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were adopted by resolution on 4 March 2004, to be operational from 29 March 2004, with all previous standing orders repealed from that date. They were last amended on 7 March 2019.

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 were 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.

pdfStanding orders1.57 MB

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   Committees
201   Appointment of select committees
202   Appointment of Standing Committees
203   Functions of Standing Committees
204   Referrals to Standing Committees
205   Membership
206   Notice for appointment of a select committee
207   Ballot for appointment to select committee
208   Vacancy on a committee
209   Committee meetings
210   Election of Chair and Deputy Chair
211   Absence of Chair and Deputy Chair
212   Voting by members
213   Quorum
214   Evidence
215   Subcommittees
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
226A   Engagement of staff
226B   Government responses
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
233   Official broadcast of proceedings
234   Rebroadcasting
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: Friday, 05 April 2019 13:19