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House of Representatives                                Ch 9                                                 p 326

Motions of condolence

It is the practice of the House to move a motion of condolence on the death of the Governor-General or a sitting Member or Senator. ¹ The practice is also extended to those who formerly held the following offices:

Governor-General

Prime Minister

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate ²

Leader of the Opposition

Leader of a ‘recognised’ political party

Leader of the Government in the Senate

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

A condolence motion may also be moved following the death of a former Senator or Member when:

However, in normal circumstances the death of a former Member or Senator is announced by the Speaker, who refers to the death without a motion being moved. The Speaker then asks Members to rise in their places for a short time as a mark of respect. ³ This practice has sometimes been criticised, on the ground that the House should show more recognition of the services of a former Member or Senator. ⁴ Sometimes Members have chosen to refer to the deaths of former Members at a suitable time later—for example, on the adjournment debate. On the opening day of the 32nd Parliament, the Speaker, by indulgence, allowed Members to pay tribute to former colleagues, there being no question before the House, ⁵ and the speeches were bound and forwarded to the next of kin. The Speaker has announced the death of a former Member, foreshadowing a condolence motion at a later date. ⁶

In 2004 the practice commenced of presenting documents notifying the deaths of persons in order to facilitate motions to take note which could be referred to the Main Committee for later debate. During such debates conventions applying to a condolence motion were observed—no time limits were placed on speeches and Members stood in silence when the debates were adjourned. ⁷

From time to time condolence motions may also be moved following the deaths of distinguished Australians, Heads of State or Government of other countries, and other distinguished persons overseas whose achievements are considered to have some direct relevance to Australia.

The guidelines for the moving of condolence motions have, in practice, been determined by the Government but, depending on the circumstances, they may not always be observed.

At the request of a Member, during questions without notice, and with the agreement of the Prime Minister and Speaker, Members stood in silence as a mark of respect to Dr Martin Luther King, a world figure who had been assassinated in the United States of America. There was an understanding that this departure from practice should not be considered to be a precedent. ⁸

In 1920, at the initiative of a private Member, Members stood in silence for one minute in memory of members of the Australian Imperial Force who fell in World War I. ⁹ On the 80th anniversary of Remembrance Day on 11 November 1998, proceedings were interrupted by the Chair at 11 a.m. and Members stood for a minute’s silence. ¹⁰ On another Remembrance Day, pursuant to a motion moved by a private Member, the House was suspended for two minutes at 11 a.m., with Members standing in silence in commemoration. ¹¹

In 2002, on a motion in remembrance of the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 being agreed to, Members rising in silence, at the Speaker’s invitation people in the gallery also rose in their places as a mark of respect. ¹²

A motion of condolence, by practice of the House, is moved without notice. It is usually moved by the Prime Minister and seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, and is ordinarily given precedence. ¹³ Time limits do not apply, although individual speeches are normally quite brief. Debate on a condolence motion may be adjourned after a small number of Members (for example, party leaders) have spoken and resumed at a later hour the same day. ¹⁴ At the conclusion of the speeches the Speaker puts the question and asks Members to signify their approval of the motion by rising in their places for a short period of silence. Depending on the circumstances a condolence motion may be followed by a suspension of the sitting to a later hour. Some deaths have been marked by an adjournment to the next sitting. However, over the years there has been a tendency for the periods of suspension or adjournment to be reduced with the increase in pressure on the time of the House, and neither is now usual.

It is usual for bound copies of motions of condolence and extracts from the Hansard together with a video recording of proceedings on condolence motions to be presented to the next of kin of the deceased person.

See Ch. on ‘Members’.

The death of a former Senate President has been announced but, at the request of the deceased, no condolence motion moved, VP 1993-95/1618.

VP 1978-80/1243; VP 1998-2001/646.

H.R. Deb. (20.2.80) 158, 161; H.R. Deb. (2.4.80) 1664.

VP 1980-81/10.

VP 1990-92/481.

E.g. Copy of Speaker’s announcement of the death of a former Member, VP 2002-04/1401, 1428; H.R. Deb. (12.02.2004) 24695-716. Copy of a Tasmanian Government Press release paying tribute to former Premier, VP 2002-04/1713, 1729. Copy of the condolence motion moved (and passed) on the death of former Speaker, VP 2002-04/1763.

VP 1968-69/43.

VP 1920-21/119; H.R. Deb. (23.4.20) 1488.

VP 1998-2001/22. A Member then read the ode, H.R. Deb. (11.11.98) 69.

VP 1990-93/1877, 1878.

VP 2002-04/385; H.R. Deb. (29.8.2002) 6190.

S.O. 49; and see Ch. on ‘Order of business and the sitting day’.

E.g. VP 1993-95/1345, 1347; VP 2002-04/1249, 1252 (Members stood as mark of respect when debate was adjourned).