Opening the 10th Assembly: What's next?
21 October 2020 | Canberra, Australia | Feature
The polls have closed and we’re now counting down the days until the opening of the 10th Legislative Assembly. What can we expect with the start of a new Assembly?
When will the new Assembly meet?
We’re not sure yet, but it’ll be soon. The Assembly is required by the Self Government Act to meet within seven days of the official declaration of the election result. The declaration will be made some time after the last day for postal votes to be received, which is 23 October.
Keep an eye on our Facebook or our X page to find out when our first sitting day will be.
What happens on the first sitting day?
Several things must happen on the first sitting day of a new Assembly, that are set out in our parliamentary rule book: the standing orders.
- First, the notification of each member’s election will be presented, after which they will take the oath or affirmation of office before the Chief Justice of the ACT Supreme Court.
- Next, members elect the Speaker, who will then take the chair.
- Finally, members elect the Chief Minister, who then has the opportunity to deliver an address to the Assembly if they wish.
This last part is different from other Australian parliaments, where the heads of government are appointed by a representative of the Queen, such as a governor.
The Assembly adjourns after the Chief Minister’s statement. New members deliver their inaugural speeches on the sitting days that follow.
Who runs the government until then?
The previous government, which entered ‘caretaker mode’ before the election, remains in this political holding pattern until a new government is formed. The caretaker convention makes sure the day-to-day machinery of government keeps working while the electoral process is underway. A new government officially takes over at the election of the Chief Minister on the first sitting. This convention is followed regardless of whether the parties from the previous government have been returned and intend to re-form government together.