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Ch8 Order of business and the sitting day / DIVISIONS / Divisions not proceeded with / Request for division withdrawn



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House of Representatives                                Ch 8                                                 p 272

 

Order of business and the sitting day / DIVISIONS / Divisions not proceeded with

 

Request for division withdrawn

The traditional practice of the House has been that once a division has been called for by at least two Members the division call cannot be withdrawn 1 unless by leave of the House. 2 However, divisions have sometimes not been further proceeded with at the request of Members who called for the division—on these occasions leave of the House has been implicit. 3 This course cannot be taken if other Members object or if leave is formally sought and refused. 4 Closure motions have been withdrawn, by leave, as the House was proceeding to a division, and the divisions not further proceeded with. 5

A division which has been deferred pursuant to standing order 133 ( see p. 277) is likely not to be proceeded with when it relates to a procedural motion which is no longer relevant at the time the deferred division is due to occur. 6

If a division call is withdrawn, the question under consideration is regarded as having been disposed of according to the Chair’s declaration on the voices. On an occasion in 2004 when the Chair had declared for the ‘Noes’, the side which did not call for the division (the ‘Noes’) requested that the division not proceed, in effect changing their vote. The Chair put the question again and it was decided on the voices for the ‘Ayes’. 7



H.R. Deb. (22-23.6.50) 4824.



H.R. Deb. (24.9.36) 501.



H.R. Deb. (12.8.99) 8579; VP 1998-2001/761; H.R. Deb. (23.6.97) 6073, VP 1996-98/1745.



H.R. Deb. (13.12.96) 8456.



VP 1960-61/46; VP 1996-98/235, 1600.



E.g. VP 1998-2001/2555.



The question was on an opposition motion to suspend standing orders which the Government had initially opposed. VP 2002-04/ 1550, H. R. Deb. (30.3.2004) 27592-3.