New rules help keep the Assembly functioning at its best
30 October 2023 | Canberra, Australia | Feature
The Assembly has updated its rule book, or standing orders, as part of a major review to make sure how we work is innovative and best practice.
Standing orders are the formal rules of how the Assembly runs. They are reviewed every four years by the Administration and Procedure Committee, who recommend changes to these rules that the Assembly then consider whether to accept.
Minor changes are often made during a four-year term of an Assembly, but the committee review is when the biggest ones are made.
What are some of the new changes?
Some of the biggest changes to how the Assembly works include:
- Introduction of 90 second member statements: Any MLA can speak for up to 90 seconds on any matter before the adjournment debate each day.
- Updated sitting day routine: Private members’ business is now every afternoon, cementing a practice that began during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
- More time for committee bill inquiries: Committees now have three months to scrutinise proposed laws, increased from two months.
- Updated Member’s code of conduct: It now includes commitments to work health and safety obligations and zero tolerance of bullying, harassment, assault, and discrimination – sexual or otherwise.
You can read the full list of changes here.
Where do ideas for changes come from?
Ideas for these changes come from many places. Anyone can make a submission to the review suggesting changes. The committee also writes to people who may be interested to invite their input, including all MLAs. Some ideas are inspired by practices used in other parliaments, such as the 90 second member statements, which are common in Canadian and other Australian parliaments.
Committee members then work through the suggestions to inform what changes they recommend the Assembly adopt.
Why are the rules called standing orders?
Like many parliamentary terms, the name ‘standing orders’ is legalese and inherited from the British Parliament. ‘Orders’ refers to the set way of doing something and ‘standing’ refers to their continuous nature. So, the name ‘standing orders’ describes the continuous rules of how a parliament runs.