Tuesday 16 August 2016
Background
The Government has refused to hold a joint sitting of parliament to swear in the new Member for Northern Victoria Luke O’Sullivan.
The Government said it would not hold a joint sitting until Gavin Jennings was allowed back into the house.
But Legislative Council President Bruce Atkinson said the Government’s argument was contrary to long-standing parliamentary convention and had turned Mr O’Sullivan’s appointment into a “˜political football’.
The Nationals’ Northern Victoria seat in the Legislative Council was vacated by Damian Drum in May and Mr O’Sullivan was preselected in late July in compliance with party rules.
Under normal conventions a new member of parliament is sworn in at the earliest convenience at a joint sitting of parliament.
That joint sitting has now been refused by the Government.
Quotes attributable to Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh
Daniel Andrews’ petulant dummy-spit today has denied the people of Northern Victoria a member of parliament and their right to democracy.
Not only has Daniel Andrews ostracised 60 000 CFA volunteers he has now denied 500 000 Northern Victorians their right to a member in the Victorian parliament.
Daniel Andrews has overturned 150 years of convention with a petulant dummy-spit.
