Parliamentary Procedure

Sittings and Business

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (11:01): Point of order, sir: standing order 38 states:

The Chair is taken on every day fixed for the meeting of the House at the time appointed. If there is no quorum* three minutes after that time, the Speaker adjourns the House…

After your prayers, sir, there were 13 people in the house.

The SPEAKER: I refer to standing order 38 and quote:

The Chair is taken on every day fixed for the meeting of the House at the time appointed. If there is no quorum…the Speaker adjourns the House to the next sitting day. A quorum consists of at least 17 Members including the Speaker. The names of the Members present are entered in the Journals.

I fully understand the standing order. I refer to Blackmore's Practice of the House of Assembly 1885 at page 31, which states:

At the hour fixed the Speaker takes the Chair, his presence therein being announced to the House…As the Speaker takes his place the bell is again rung, and the three-minutes' glass turned. If at the expiration of that time a quorum be not present the House stands adjourned till the next sitting day.

I have been advised that we should ring the bells for a further three minutes per past practice.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: To assist the Chair, sir, I understand the practice is that the Speaker will adjourn the house for 10 minutes and then ring the bells again if he believes there is not a quorum present.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

The SPEAKER: One moment, minister. I am going to ask for the bells to be rung for three minutes.

A quorum having been formed: