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Ch6 The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and officers / DEPUTY SPEAKER / Resignation and vacancy



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House of Representatives                                Ch 6                                                 p 200

 

The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and officers / DEPUTY SPEAKER

 

Resignation and vacancy

If the Deputy Speaker wishes to resign from office, he or she may do so by means of a personal announcement, or by notifying the Speaker, in writing, who will make an announcement to the House. 1

The practice following the resignation of a Chairman of Committees was formerly for a motion to be moved ‘That the resignation be accepted, and that the House proceed forthwith to appoint a Chairman of Committees’. 2 More recent practice was not to have motions accepting a Chairman’s resignation.

On 14 July 1975 Chairman Berinson resigned from office, by letter to the Speaker, as he had been appointed to the Ministry. As the House was not sitting a new Chairman could not be elected and Mr Berinson was deemed to continue to be Chairman of Committees until a new Chairman was elected by the House on 19 August 1975. 3 In addition, as the Speaker was absent overseas, Mr Berinson was deemed to be Presiding Officer for the purposes of the exercise of any powers or functions by the Presiding Officer under a law of the Commonwealth. 4



The Constitution and the standing orders of the House contain no specific provision on the matter.



VP 1940-43/549-50; VP 1961/9.



VP 1974-75/821.



Parliamentary Presiding Officers Act 1965 .