Joint meetings of the Australian Parliament
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This article is about Joint meetings of the Australian Parliament.
Australia has a bicameral federal parliament
, consisting of the Senate
and the House of Representatives
. Subject to the Constitution of Australia
, each House has its own rules, standing orders and procedures; its own presiding officer; and meets separately, at dates and times it alone decides.
However, there are some occasions when the two Houses have come together as a single body. The reasons for joint meetings have included:
, usually the Chief Justice
of the High Court
, formally opens the new parliament by an address to a joint sitting. Later in the day the Governor-General personally delivers to the joint sitting an address outlining the government’s forthcoming legislative program
.
On three occasions (15 February 1954, 28 February 1974, and 8 March 1977), Queen Elizabeth II has personally opened a second or later session of an existing Parliament. These have always involved a joint sitting, to which the Queen has delivered an address.
. This is followed by a general election, and the bill may be put to the separate Houses of the newly-elected parliament for reconsideration. If this still fails to resolve the deadlock, the bill may be considered by a joint sitting, convened as a single legislative body. If passed by the joint sitting, the bill will be treated for all purposes as if it had been separately passed by the two Houses.
The only time such a joint sitting has occurred was on 6-7 August 1974.
(ACT) and the Northern Territory
(NT) gained direct representation in the Senate, and 1989, when the ACT gained self-government (the NT had gained self-government in 1978), the choice of a replacement ACT or NT senator to fill a casual vacancy was made by a joint sitting of both Houses. This occurred twice:
Casual vacancies for ACT or NT senators are now filled by the ACT Legislative Assembly
or the NT Legislative Assembly
respectively, under Section 44 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
A joint sitting of the federal parliament would still be used to fill a casual vacancy in the representation of any external territory, in the event that such a territory ever gains separate Senate representation.
in Melbourne
, to commemorate the Centenary of that event specifically, and the Centenary of Federation more generally. The joint sitting was addressed by the Governor-General, Sir William Deane
.
, the Parliament met in secret on a number of occasions, to hear confidential reports on the progress of the war. There is no Hansard record of the proceedings.
The House of Representatives met in secret on 13 December 1940, 29 May 1941, and 20 August 1941.
Both Houses met in secret joint sittings on 20 February 1942, 3 September 1942, and 8 October 1942.
It has been claimed that one of these joint sittings was addressed by General Douglas MacArthur
, but as there is no official record of the proceedings, this cannot be confirmed.
, George H. W. Bush
. Later addresses to joint sittings were from U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton
(1996) and George W. Bush
(2003); and President of China
Hu Jintao
(2003). (George W. Bush's and Hu Jintao's addresses occurred on consecutive days in October 2003.)
Subsequently, the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure and the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges both recommended that the practice of formally convening a joint sitting for these purposes be discontinued, as they had no constitutional authority, and there were doubts about the validity of the presiding officer of one house giving instructions to members of the other house. On 2 March 2006, it was agreed that future addresses by invited dignitaries would be to a meeting of the House of Representatives
only, but to which the members of the Senate
would be invited as guests. Those who have addressed such meetings include: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Tony Blair
(2006), Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper
(2007), and President of Indonesia
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
(2010).
On 20 June 2011 John Key
, Prime Minister of New Zealand
, was the first New Zealand leader to address the Australian Parliament. This reciprocated the address by the Australian Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
to the New Zealand Parliament
in February 2011.
On 17 November 2011, Barack Obama
, President of the United States, addressed the Parliament. This reciprocated an earlier address by Julia Gillard to the US Congress.
Note: On 29 November 1951, a visiting delegation from the United Kingdom House of Commons presented a Mace
to the House of Representatives, a gift from King George VI to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Federation. Each of the three members of the delegation (Richard Law
, David Rhys Grenfell
and Joseph Grimond) also addressed the House.
Australia has a bicameral federal parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, consisting of the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
and the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Subject to the Constitution of Australia
Constitution of Australia
The Constitution of Australia is the supreme law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates. It consists of several documents. The most important is the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia...
, each House has its own rules, standing orders and procedures; its own presiding officer; and meets separately, at dates and times it alone decides.
However, there are some occasions when the two Houses have come together as a single body. The reasons for joint meetings have included:
- opening of a new Parliament after a general election, or opening a new session
- to resolve deadlocks between the Houses following a double dissolutionDouble dissolutionA double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....
- to fill casual vacancies in the representation of the territoriesStates and territories of AustraliaThe Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
in the Senate - a special commemorative joint sitting to celebrate the Centenary of Federation
- secret meetings to discuss security-related issues, such as Australia’s participation in war
- to receive addresses by invited guests such as visiting foreign heads of state or government.
Opening of parliamentary sessions
After each general election, a deputy appointed by the Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, usually the Chief Justice
Chief Justice of Australia
The Chief Justice of Australia is the informal title for the presiding justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia...
of the High Court
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
, formally opens the new parliament by an address to a joint sitting. Later in the day the Governor-General personally delivers to the joint sitting an address outlining the government’s forthcoming legislative program
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
.
On three occasions (15 February 1954, 28 February 1974, and 8 March 1977), Queen Elizabeth II has personally opened a second or later session of an existing Parliament. These have always involved a joint sitting, to which the Queen has delivered an address.
Resolving deadlocks between the two Houses
The Constitution makes provision for a joint sitting as part of a procedure to resolve legislative deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate. Section 57 provides that, under certain circumstances where there is a deadlock over a bill, both houses may be dissolved in a double dissolutionDouble dissolution
A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....
. This is followed by a general election, and the bill may be put to the separate Houses of the newly-elected parliament for reconsideration. If this still fails to resolve the deadlock, the bill may be considered by a joint sitting, convened as a single legislative body. If passed by the joint sitting, the bill will be treated for all purposes as if it had been separately passed by the two Houses.
The only time such a joint sitting has occurred was on 6-7 August 1974.
Casual vacancies in the representation of the Territories in the Senate
Between 1975, when the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
(ACT) and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
(NT) gained direct representation in the Senate, and 1989, when the ACT gained self-government (the NT had gained self-government in 1978), the choice of a replacement ACT or NT senator to fill a casual vacancy was made by a joint sitting of both Houses. This occurred twice:
- Margaret ReidMargaret ReidMargaret Elizabeth Reid AO is a former Australian politician. She was the first woman to be President of the Australian Senate.-Early years:...
was elected on 5 May 1981 to replace the deceased ACT Senator John KnightJohn Knight (Australian politician)John William Knight was an Australian politician. He represented the Australian Capital Territory in the Senate, for the Liberal Party of Australia, from 1975 until his death in 1981.... - Bob McMullanBob McMullanRobert Francis McMullan is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives....
was elected on 16 February 1988 to replace former ACT Senator Susan RyanSusan RyanSusan Maree Ryan AO is an Australian educator who served as a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory 1975–87...
, who had resigned.
Casual vacancies for ACT or NT senators are now filled by the ACT Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
or the NT Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
respectively, under Section 44 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
A joint sitting of the federal parliament would still be used to fill a casual vacancy in the representation of any external territory, in the event that such a territory ever gains separate Senate representation.
Special commemorative joint sitting
On 9 May 2001, the Parliament met in a special joint sitting at the site of the 1st Parliament, the Royal Exhibition BuildingRoyal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, to commemorate the Centenary of that event specifically, and the Centenary of Federation more generally. The joint sitting was addressed by the Governor-General, Sir William Deane
William Deane
Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE, QC , Australian judge and the 22nd Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:William Deane was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Catholic schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in...
.
Secret meetings
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Parliament met in secret on a number of occasions, to hear confidential reports on the progress of the war. There is no Hansard record of the proceedings.
The House of Representatives met in secret on 13 December 1940, 29 May 1941, and 20 August 1941.
Both Houses met in secret joint sittings on 20 February 1942, 3 September 1942, and 8 October 1942.
It has been claimed that one of these joint sittings was addressed by General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, but as there is no official record of the proceedings, this cannot be confirmed.
Addresses by invited guests
The first address by an invited guest to the Parliament in a formally convened joint sitting of which there was an official record was on 3 January 1992, by the U.S. PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. Later addresses to joint sittings were from U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
(1996) and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
(2003); and President of China
President of China
The President of China can refer to:*President of the People's Republic of China...
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
(2003). (George W. Bush's and Hu Jintao's addresses occurred on consecutive days in October 2003.)
Subsequently, the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure and the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges both recommended that the practice of formally convening a joint sitting for these purposes be discontinued, as they had no constitutional authority, and there were doubts about the validity of the presiding officer of one house giving instructions to members of the other house. On 2 March 2006, it was agreed that future addresses by invited dignitaries would be to a meeting of the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
only, but to which the members of the Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
would be invited as guests. Those who have addressed such meetings include: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
(2006), Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
(2007), and President of Indonesia
President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
(2010).
On 20 June 2011 John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
, was the first New Zealand leader to address the Australian Parliament. This reciprocated the address by the Australian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
to the New Zealand Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
in February 2011.
On 17 November 2011, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, President of the United States, addressed the Parliament. This reciprocated an earlier address by Julia Gillard to the US Congress.
Note: On 29 November 1951, a visiting delegation from the United Kingdom House of Commons presented a Mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
to the House of Representatives, a gift from King George VI to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Federation. Each of the three members of the delegation (Richard Law
Richard Law, 1st Baron Coleraine
Richard Kidston Law, 1st Baron Coleraine PC was a British Conservative politician. He was the youngest son of former Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law and his wife Annie. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and St...
, David Rhys Grenfell
David Grenfell
David Rhys Grenfell PC, CBE, LlD was a British Member of Parliament. He represented the Gower constituency for the Labour Party from 1922 to 1959.-Early life:...
and Joseph Grimond) also addressed the House.