Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the following agreement for members to contribute remotely to parliamentary proceedings.

The document read as follows—

This agreement is made pursuant to the Resolution adopted by the House of Representatives on 23 March 2020, entitled Special provisions for human biosecurity emergency period, for the upcoming sittings of the House of Representatives from Tuesday, 8 February 2022 to Thursday, 17 February 2022.

(1) Members not physically present in Parliament House may participate in proceedings of the House of Representatives Chamber or the Federation Chamber, as provided by this agreement, if:

(a) they participate via the official parliamentary video facility only; and

(b) the Speaker is satisfied the Member is unable to physically attend Parliament due to reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic;

(2) Reasons to be provided to allow the Speaker to make a decision in accordance with 1(b) above should be provided by the Leader of the House to the Speaker for a Government Member, the Manager of Opposition Business to the Speaker for an Opposition Member and directly to the Speaker for a non-aligned Member. The reasons should address the personal circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic that have made it essentially impossible, unreasonably impracticable, or would give rise to an unreasonable risk for the Member to physically attend Parliament;

(3) The standing orders apply except as affected by this agreement;

(4) Members participating in proceedings by this agreement must use the official parliamentary video facility and be present at either an Electorate Office or a Commonwealth Parliament Office;

(5) Members present by the official parliamentary video facility may speak only after being recognised by the Chair:

(a) for the purposes of making a speech; or

(b) to ask or answer a question at Question Time;

(6) Members present by the official parliamentary video facility may not:

(a) vote or be counted for quorum;

(b) move or second any motion;

(c) move or second any amendment to a motion or bill;

(d) propose or support a proposal to discuss a matter of public importance;

(e) call for a division; or

(f) call for a quorum to be counted;

(7) Notice is to be provided to the Chair, 15 minutes prior to:

(a) a Member, participating in proceedings by the official parliamentary video facility, seeking to make a speech;

(b) a Member, participating in proceedings by the official parliamentary video facility, seeking to ask a question in Question Time; and

(c) Question Time, by the Leader of the House, indicating whether any Minister will be present during Question Time by the official parliamentary video facility and is therefore available to answer questions;

(8) At the conclusion of a question made through the official parliamentary video facility, the questioner participating in accordance with paragraph 7(b) above shall remain available to seek the call if that member wishes to raise a point of order during the answer; and

(9) Contributions to proceedings made by Members present by the official parliamentary video facility will be recorded in Hansard.