Standing orders

Chapter 1 - The Opening of Parliament	Standing Order No.
Proceedings on opening Governor-General’s speech Address-in-reply Opening of Parliament by the Queen	1 2 3 4

Chapter 2 - Office of the President	Standing Order No.
Term of office Election of President Ballot Presentation to Governor-General	5 6 7 8

Chapter 3 - Deputy President and Chairman of Committees	Standing Order No.
Term of office Appointment of Deputy President Duty of Chairman Temporary Chairmen	9 10 11 12

Chapter 4 - Absence of President, Deputy President and officers	Standing Order No.
Absence of President Absence of both officers Relief of President Absence of Clerk	13 14 15 16

Chapter 5 - Standing and Select Committees	Standing Order No.
Standing Committees Procedure Privileges Appropriations and Staffing Library House Publications Senators’ Interests Regulations and Ordinances Scrutiny of Bills Selection of Bills Legislative and general purpose Estimates General Committee Provisions Membership Time for reporting Quorum Meetings Chairman Proceedings Meetings during sitting Powers Witnesses Public and private meetings Disclosure of evidence and documents Reports Proceedings on report Meetings with House of Representatives committees Lists of committees Joint committees	17 18 19 20 21 22 22A 23 24 24A 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Chapter 6 - Journals and records of the Senate	Standing Order No.
Publication of Journals and records Custody of records	43 44

Chapter 7 - Senators' roll, attendance and places of Seantors	Standing Order No.
Roll Attendance of senators Leave of absence to senators Senators’ seats	45 46 47 48

Chapter 8 - Sittings, quorum and adjournment of the Senate	Standing Order No.
Meeting of Senate Prayer Quorum at commencement of sitting Quorum during sitting Adjournment of Senate Adjournment without motion	49 50 51 52 53 54

Chapter 9 - Times of sittings and routine of business	Standing Order No.
Times of meetings Conduct of business Routine of business Business of the Senate Government and general business Reports of committees – precedence Consideration of government documents Consideration of committee reports and government responses and Auditor-General’s reports Presentation of documents New business Government business on Notice Paper Formal motions Postponement of business Interruption of business	55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

Chapter 10 - Petitions	Standing Order No.
Presentation of petitions Form of petitions Content of petitions	69 70 71

Chapter 11 - Questions seeking information	Standing Order No.
Questions without notice Rules for questions Questions on notice	72 73 74

Chapter 12 - Matters of public importance and urgency	Standing Order No.
Proposal for debate	75

Chapter 13 - Notice of motion	Standing Order No.
Giving of notices Alteration and withdrawal of notices Disallowance motions	76 77 78

Chapter 14 - Motions and questions	Standing Order No.
Notice required Disposal of motions Privilege motions Motions concerning contempts Moving of motions Putting of question Anticipatory motions Same question Rescission of order Leave of the Senate Superseded question	79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

Chapter 15 - Amendments	Standing Order No.
Moving of amendments Putting of amendments Same amendment Amendments to amendments	90 91 92 93

Chapter 16 - Previous Question	Standing Order No.
Form of previous question Determination of previous question	94 95

Chapter 17 - Orders of the day	Standing Order No.
Source of orders Disposal of orders	96 97

Chapter 18 - Divisions	Standing Order No.
Calling for divisions Voting by President Voting in divisions Taking of divisions Recording of divisions Points of order Correction of divisions Divisions in committee	98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105

Chapter 19 - Roll call	Standing Order No.
Notice of order Order for roll call Conduct of roll call Senators not present Roll call for Constitution alteration bills	106 107 108 109 110

Chapter 20 - Bills	Standing Order No.
Initiation First reading Expedited proceedings on bills Second reading Committal Consideration in committee Order of consideration Amendments in committee Uncompleted proceedings in committee Report from committee Recommittal on report Third reading Recommittal on third reading Corrections Transmission to House of Representatives House of Representatives amendments on bills originated in the Senate Bill again returned from the House of Representatives Bills received from the House of Representatives Requests Amendments changed to requests Return of House of Representatives bill Disagreement with Senate amendments House of Representatives amendments to Senate amendments Amendments after disagreement Bills amending the Constitution Lapsed bills Presentation for assent Amendments proposed by the Governor-General Assent to bill Requests on bills not amendable by the Senate Requests not complied with Limitation of debate on bills	111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142

Chapter 21 - Committees of the whole	Standing Order No.
Appointment of committee Proceedings in committee Objection to chairman’s ruling President to resume chair Quorum Report of committee	143 144 145 146 147 148

Chapter 22 - Instructions to Committees	Standing Order No.
Effect of instruction Instructions on bills Notice required	149 150 151

Chapter 23 - Communication between the two Houses	Standing Order No.
Methods of communication Messages from the Senate Communicating a resolution Messages from the House of Representatives	152 153 154 155

Chapter 24 - Conferences	Standing Order No.
Request for conference Appointment of managers Sitting suspended Time and place of conference Proceedings at conference Report of conference One conference only	156 157 158 159 160 161 162

Chapter 25 - Ballots	Standing Order No.
Conduct of ballot	163

Chapter 26 - Tabling of documents	Standing Order No.
Order for the production of documents Documents from the Governor-General Other methods of tabling documents Publication of tabled documents Documents quoted in debate Motions after tabling Amendments after tabling	164 165 166 167 168 169 170

Chapter 27 - Addresses to the Queen or the Governor-General	Standing Order No.
Making of address Presentation of address	171 172

Chapter 28 - Messages from the Governor-General	Standing Order No.
Presentation of message	173

Chapter 29 - Visitors	Standing Order No.
Distinguished visitors Conduct of visitors	174 175

Chapter 30 - Witnesses	Standing Order No.
Summoning of witnesses Senators as witnesses Members or officers of the House of Representatives Requests from the House of Representatives Witnesses in prison Protection of witnesses Witnesses before the Senate Evidence given elsewhere by senators or officers	176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183

Chapter 31 - Conduct of Senators and rules of debate	Standing Order No.
Order maintained by President Conduct of senators The call to speak Speeches not to be read Right to speak Time limits on speeches Personal explanations Explanations of speeches Reply Rules of debate Relevance and anticipation Question may be read Tedious repetition Interruption of speaker: points of order or privilege Objection to ruling Closure of debate Putting of question ends debate Adjournment of debate Interruption by adjournment of Senate Infringement of order Suspension of senator Quarrels between senators Disobedience of orders	184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206

Chapter 32 - Disputed Returns	Standing Order No.
Petitions disputing elections	207

Chapter 33 - Effect and suspension of Standing Orders	Standing Order No.
Powers, privileges and immunities not affected Motion for suspension Effect of suspension	208 209 210

Standing orders

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