House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-06 Daily Xml

Contents

Parliamentary Procedure

Sessional Orders

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Health Industries) (15:49): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable me to move sessional orders for a direction to leave the chamber and a time limit for answers to questions without notice.

Motion carried.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Health Industries) (15:50): I move:

That standing orders be and remain so far suspended so as to provide that (sessional orders 7 and 8 in the members' opening day guide):

1. The Speaker may direct a disorderly member to leave the chamber for up to one hour. The direction shall not be open to debate or dissent, and if the member does not leave the chamber immediately, the Speaker may name the speaker in accordance with standing order 138.

2. A member who has been directed to leave the chamber under this sessional order is excluded from the house and its galleries for up to one hour. However, the member may enter the chamber during the ringing of the bells for the purposes of forming a quorum, an absolute majority, or voting in a division. Once the Speaker or Chairman of Committees has declared the presence of a quorum or the business for which an absolute majority was required has concluded or result of the division has been declared, the member must immediately withdraw from the chamber for the remainder of the period of the exclusion.

3. During the periods for asking questions without notice an answer to a question must not exceed four minutes. The Speaker has discretion to extend the time for a minister's answer if the answer is interrupted.

The SPEAKER: Is there any debate?

Mr MARSHALL: We support the motion, sir.

Motion carried.

The SPEAKER: Members will observe we have a new timing device at either end of the chamber which makes the Crvena Zvezda stopwatch redundant. It has gone the way of the whole Soviet era and now there will be no Speaker's discretion whatsoever. It will be apparent to all members of the chamber. Are there any questions?

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Like any field umpire I have the discretion to call time on.