Parliamentary Procedure

SITTINGS AND BUSINESS

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. P. Holloway:

That, during the present session and unless otherwise ordered, if the council has not adjourned at 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, a minister shall move the motion 'That the council do now adjourn.'

(Continued from 28 September 2010.)

The Hon. M. PARNELL (16:51): I rise to say that the Greens will be supporting this motion provided it is amended, and I will move an amendment shortly. The motion as it reads is that, with no exception, if the council has not adjourned at 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, a minister shall move the motion that this house do now adjourn.

The purpose of this motion, quite clearly, is to move the Legislative Council (albeit very slowly) towards a changed regime that many people, including the Greens, support when it is described as 'family-friendly sitting hours', but it is not as simple as simply knocking off and drawing a line under the business of this council at that time on those two days without our considering what that means for the longstanding traditions of this chamber in relation to private members' business in particular. I move:

At the end of the motion add the following words—

'If the Council is adjourned on a Wednesday before Private Members' Business is concluded, any outstanding Private Members' Business shall take precedence over Government Business on a Thursday.'

The purpose of this amendment will be very clear; that is, to maintain what I think has been an important tradition in this chamber, as I understand it over many years, that private business takes precedence over government business on a Wednesday, and it is consistent therefore that if the private business is not concluded on a Wednesday, that we keep it going on a Thursday.

The amendment, if passed, would still give effect to the desire that most of us have here, which is to adjourn at a reasonable hour, and it with probably enshrine Thursday morning sittings, and I think that is not a bad thing. We have been sitting on Thursday mornings fairly regularly, but often we never know until the Wednesday night when we receive a note from the minister that Thursday morning sitting will take place.

I think this amendment does take us some way towards getting towards family-friendly sitting hours in this chamber that do not impinge on the important right that two-thirds of the members of this chamber have; that is, two-thirds of non-government members of this council to have one day—and it is only one day—where our business takes priority.

I might add that, whilst this motion was put forward very early on in the piece (in fact, I think the second substantive day of sitting of this chamber), there are other ways in which the council could work to achieve reform to its processes. I for one, on behalf of the Greens, would like to see a cooperative arrangement—a round-table conference, if you like, of members of all parties and Independents—to come up with a different and better regime which allows us to work at an hour of the day when we are more productive but which does not undermine the ability of private members to ensure that our business gets some coverage.

I make that offer on behalf of the Greens. We are happy to sit down with the government and other parties to come up with a package of suggestions that go to sitting hours and other parliamentary reforms. Given that the matter before us is a fairly simple one, I have proposed a fairly simple amendment and that is, yes, let's keep the option of going home at 10 o'clock on a Wednesday but, if we have not finished private members' business, let's come back on a Thursday morning and complete it.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.