NORTHERN TERRITORY REPRESENTATION.

No. 27 of 1959.

An Act to amend section five of the Northern Territory Representation Act 1922–1949.

[Assented to 29th April, 1959.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Northern Territory Representation Act 1959.

(2.) The Northern Territory Representation Act 1922–1949, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Northern Territory-Representation Act 1922–1959.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Voting rights of the member for the Northern Territory.

3. Section five of the Northern Territory Representation Act 1922–1949 is amended—

(a) by omitting sub-section (1a.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-sections:—

“(1a.) The member representing the Northern Territory may vote—

(a) on any question arising in the House of Representatives, or in the House of Representatives sitting as a Committee of the Whole, on or in connexion with a proposed law that is determined, in accordance with the next succeeding sub-section, to be a proposed law that relates solely to the Northern Territory; and

(b) on any motion for the disallowance of a regulation made under an Ordinance of the Northern Territory and on any amendment of such a motion.

“(1b.) For the purpose of paragraph (a) of the last preceding sub-section, the question whether a proposed law is one that relates solely to the Northern Territory shall be determined—

(a) by a ruling of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or, in relation to proceedings in the House of Representatives sitting as a Committee of the Whole, by a ruling of the Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives; or

(b) if objection is taken to the ruling of the Speaker or of the Chairman, by the House of Representatives or the House of Representatives sitting as a Committee of the Whole, as the case may be.”; and

(b) by adding at the end thereof the following sub-section:—

“(5.) In this section—

(a) references to the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be read as including references to any member of the House

of Representatives for the time being acting as Speaker or occupying the Chair as Deputy Speaker; and

(b) references to the Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives shall be read as including references to any member of the House of Representatives for the time being acting as Temporary Chairman of Committees.”.