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Ch7 The parliamentary calendar / THE ADDRESS IN REPLY / Amendments



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House of Representatives                                Ch 7                                                 p 230

 

The parliamentary calendar / THE ADDRESS IN REPLY

 

Amendments

Amendments to the Address may be moved in the form of an addition of words to the Address. An amendment would usually be moved by an opposition Member. It is usually critical of the Government and, having regard to its wording, could be considered by the Government to be an amendment of censure for the purposes of standing order 48. In this case the amendment must be disposed of before any business, other than formal business, is proceeded with. 1 After an amendment has been disposed of, a further amendment may be moved to add or insert words. There have been up to four amendments moved to a proposed Address. 2

In 1970 an amendment expressing a censure of the Government was not accepted as a censure amendment for the purposes of standing order 48. 3 The House then, on the motion of the Leader of the Opposition, agreed to the suspension of standing orders to enable debate on the proposed Address and the amendment to have precedence until disposed of. 4 In 1905 an amendment to the Address, which added the words ‘but are of opinion that practical measures should be proceeded with’, was agreed to and the Address, as amended, presented to the Governor-General. Following the House’s agreement to the amendment the Government resigned and a new Ministry was formed. 5



NP 3 (14.8.13) 9, NP 3 (2.11.34) 5; on these occasions the proposed Address and amendments were given precedence even though prior to 1965 the standing order did not make provision for a Minister to accept an amendment as a censure or no confidence amendment. In other cases, precedence was accorded although no precedence note appeared on the Notice Paper, H.R. Deb. (21.3.57) 81, H.R. Deb. (27.2.62) 271.



VP 1923-24/13-18.



H.R. Deb. (18.3.70) 557 (then S.O. 110).



VP 1970-72/48.



VP 1905/7-12.