Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That standing orders 131 paragraph (b) and 207 paragraph (b) be amended to read as follows:

131 Successive divisions

(b) If there is a successive division, members who wish to vote in the same way as in the previous division must remain seated until the result of the division is announced. The tellers shall take each member’s vote as being the same as it was in the previous division unless a member reports to them. A member must report to the tellers if he or she:

(i) wishes to vote differently to his or her vote in the previous division; or

(ii) voted in the previous division and does not wish to vote in the current division; or

(iii) did not vote in the previous division and wishes to vote in the current division.

207 Presenting a petition

(b) A member may present a petition during:

(i) the period of members’ statements in the House or in the Federation Chamber, in accordance with standing order 43;

(ii) the period of members’ constituency statements in the Federation Chamber, in accordance with standing order 193;

(iii) adjournment debate in the House in accordance with standing order 31, and in the Federation Chamber in accordance with standing order 191; and

(iv) grievance debate in accordance with standing order 192B.

Briefly, these amendments are designed to smooth the running of the parliament. Because they relate to different aspects of the standing orders, they will be moved in three separate lots. I had placed different motions on the Notice Paper.

Members will be well aware that in cases of successive divisions a significant amount of time is taken up in counting votes, even though in almost all cases the results are identical. This amendment substitutes the word 'take' for 'record' in standing order 131(b). It clarifies that the tellers should consider votes in such divisions to be identical to the preceding vote unless members have reported to the tellers. It will decrease the amount of time spent on counting divisions, meaning that there will be more time for debate in the chamber.

This also includes a consequential amendment to standing order 207. Members will recall that I recently extended 90-second statements significantly, including in the Federation Chamber. There has been a large take-up of this and members have raised a variety of issues in 90-second statements. This amendment clarifies that petitions can be presented during 90-second statements in the Federation Chamber as well as in the House.

Question agreed to.