Joint Sitting of Parliament
A joint sitting of Parliament is a meeting of both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Parliament of Australia. It is convened by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister when the two houses cannot agree on a bill.
The first joint sitting of Parliament was held in 1901, when the House of Representatives and the Senate could not agree on a bill to establish the Commonwealth Bank. The most recent joint sitting was held in 2010, when the two houses could not agree on a bill to amend the Electoral Act.
How does a joint sitting work?
A joint sitting is presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. If the Speaker is not available, the President of the Senate presides. The quorum for a joint sitting is one-third of the total number of members of both houses.
The bill that is the subject of the joint sitting is debated and voted on by the members of both houses. The bill is passed if it is supported by a majority of the members present and voting.
What are the powers of a joint sitting?
The powers of a joint sitting are limited to the bill that is the subject of the joint sitting. The joint sitting cannot debate or vote on any other matter.
What are the limitations of a joint sitting?
The main limitation of a joint sitting is that it can only be convened when the two houses cannot agree on a bill. This means that the joint sitting cannot be used to pass legislation that is opposed by one of the houses.
Another limitation of a joint sitting is that it is not a permanent body. The joint sitting is dissolved once the bill that is the subject of the joint sitting has been passed or defeated.
What are the benefits of a joint sitting?
The main benefit of a joint sitting is that it allows the Parliament to pass legislation that is opposed by one of the houses. This can be useful in situations where the two houses are deadlocked on a particular issue.
Another benefit of a joint sitting is that it can speed up the legislative process. This is because the joint sitting can only debate and vote on the bill that is the subject of the joint sitting. This means that there is no need for the bill to go through the normal legislative process, which can be lengthy.
What are the drawbacks of a joint sitting?
The main drawback of a joint sitting is that it is not a representative body. The joint sitting is made up of members of both houses, but the number of members from each house is not proportional to the number of seats that each house has in the Parliament. This means that the joint sitting can be dominated by members of one house.
Another drawback of a joint sitting is that it can be seen as undemocratic. This is because the joint sitting is not elected by the people. The members of the joint sitting are elected by the people to represent them in the House of Representatives or the Senate. When the two houses are deadlocked, the joint sitting is convened by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. This means that the joint sitting can be seen as a way for the government to bypass the will of the people.
Conclusion
A joint sitting of Parliament is a powerful tool that can be used to pass legislation that is opposed by one of the houses. However, it is important to note that the joint sitting is not a representative body and it can be seen as undemocratic.