Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Standing and sessional orders

This petition of residents in Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Assembly the lack of opportunities for non-government members in the house.

Currently Victoria’s Legislative Assembly is the only lower house in Australia that does not provide meaningful opportunities for non-government members to move motions, progress private members bills or utilise a number of other procedures in the house.

Failing to provide meaningful opportunities for minority voices in the Legislative Assembly not only prevents the representation of large numbers of Victoria’s population, but also denies a potential source of important legislation.

Non-government business is standard practice in any Westminster parliament. There is simply no reason that Victoria should remain an outlier.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly amends the Standing Orders such that non-government business be reinstated as an accessible and consistent mechanism in the house.

By Ms SHEED (Shepparton) (372 signatures).