Parliamentary Terms and Sessions
Background
Before 1856 the Tasmanian Legislative Council was not a fully elected body and did not have set term limits. The 1854 Constitution Act which created the House of Assembly within the present bicameral Parliament set a maximum term of five years. Today the term for the House of Assembly is four years, and a Legislative Councillor's term is six years.
In 1972 Premier Reece (Australian Labor Party) claimed an electoral mandate to return to five-year terms, but the Council amended this to four years. The final compromise was for one five-year term, with all subsequent terms to be four years. A two-thirds majority is required to alter the section of the Constitution Act 1934 that sets the maximum four-year term of the House of Assembly.
Term: the length of time House of Assembly elections - since 1976 this has been a maximum of four years.
Session: the period beginning with the Governor's proclamation and ending with prorogation, which suspends parliamentary activity (by tradition sessions have been roughly twelve months).
Sitting: the (usually two) periods of parliamentary activity during the year.
Parliamentary Term
The term, or duration, of State Parliament is part of a constitutional process controlled by law and conventions (past practice). The State Governor issues a proclamation upon the advice of the State Premier and has the authority under section 12(2) of the Constitution Act 1934 to dissolve the House of Assembly for a general election. There is no power to dissolve the Legislative Council.
During the full term of a Parliament it may hold as many sessions or meetings as desired, but under section 11 of the Constitution Act 1934 no more than twelve months may pass between sessions.
By special proclamation, the Governor prorogues Parliament and dissolves the House of Assembly. At the same time the Governor sets dates for the issuing and return of writs, which are the written commands for the election of a new Parliament. After an election is held and a result is obtained, the Chief Electoral Officer returns the writs. The formal length of a Tasmanian Parliament runs from the return of these writs to its dissolution, not election day to election day. However it is often not possible for Parliament to meet immediately so the Constitution sets limits on the first meeting of the new Parliament: it must meet within 90 days or, if proclaimed by the Governor, a maximum of 120 days after an election.
Opening of Parliament
For centuries the monarch called into session the meetings which have come to be known as Parliament. Today the formal ceremonial opening of Parliament is performed before invited guests by the Governor, but only in the Legislative Council Chamber. This is because the monarch (and the Governor as the monarch's representative) is historically 'barred' from entering the lower House.
In Tasmania, on the date appointed by proclamation, a formal group consisting of the Governor, accompanied by the Usher of the Black Rod, the heads of the armed services in Tasmania, the Governor's aide-de-camp and the Official Secretary to the Governor enter the Legislative Council Chamber. The Governor then instructs the Usher of the Black Rod to summon Members of the House of Assembly to the Chamber and when they are seated he delivers the opening speech. This speech, which is traditionally prepared by the Premier and the Cabinet, outlines the Government's legislative program for the session.
After the speech the Governor departs and the members of the House of Assembly return to their own Chamber so that each House may commence the process of debating its response to the speech. This debate is known as the Address-in-Reply, which is transmitted to the Governor at the conclusion of the debate.
During 1999 the ALP Government announced that it would alter the traditional opening ceremony of the Tasmanian Parliament. The Governor would perform the formal opening of a new Parliament, but not open each session. This means that at the end of the Spring Sitting, usually in November or December, a date is set for the return of Parliament the following year, at which time the Parliament meets again and resumes business where it left off.
Swearing in of new Members
At the first session of Parliament following an election each newly elected MP must, according to section 30 of the Constitution Act 1934, take an oath or offer an affirmation to the State Governor, or a delegated person, which declares that they '... do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance' or that they do 'solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm allegiance' to the Crown.
The Promissory Oaths Act 1869 contains the correct wording of these oaths but it is possible to affirm, i.e. declare, rather than swear allegiance to the Crown. Members of the Legislative Council were first able to make an affirmation as long ago as 1910 and in the Assembly the first affirmations occurred in 1964.
New Members are also required to agree to a Code of Conduct which govern certain standards of speech and behaviour and which form part of the Standing Orders of the House of Assembly. Members must also complete a disclosure of pecuniary and other interests.
Sittings
A Parliamentary session begins after a proclamation of the Governor and only ceases when another proclamation prorogues Parliament, which closes a session and ceases parliamentary processes, which must then be formally resumed in the next session. All the breaks in between these dates are adjournments or parliamentary recesses and do not affect the program of business. As noted above, the dissolution of the House of Assembly marks the formal termination of a Parliament.
Common usage gives names to the different sittings during a parliamentary session:
Budget Sitting
February to July
Spring Sitting
August to December.
Special and Joint sittings
Special sittings
To call a special sitting of Parliament, the Governor, upon the advice of the Premier, must issue a special proclamation. A minimum of six days must elapse before the sitting.
Joint sittings
Under section 15 of the Commonwealth Constitution both Houses must meet together to fill a casual vacancy for the Senate caused by death or resignation of a sitting senator. The elected person will hold the place until the expiration of the term of the departed Senator.
Parliaments of Tasmania since 1856
Chronological list of Parliaments of Tasmania since the inauguration of responsible government, including sessions, dates of opening, and dates of closing and dissolution.
Parliament No. | Session No. | Date of Opening | Date of Closing or Dissolution |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 2 December 1856 | 5 June 1857 |
2 | 13 October 1857 | 25 February 1858 | |
3 | 7 September 1858 | 5 November 1858 | |
4 | 9 December 1858 | 10 December 1858 | |
5 | 4 August 1859 | 23 September 1859 | |
6 | 18 July 1860 | 4 October 1860 (Dissolved 8 May 1861) | |
2 | 1 | 15 August 1861 | 1 February 1862 |
2 | 22 July 1862 | 20 October 1862 (Dissolved 21 October 1862) | |
3 | 1 | 15 January 1863 | 25 March 1863 |
2 | 16 June 1863 | 29 September 1863 | |
3 | 13 October 1863 | 17 October 1863 | |
4 | 29 June 1864 | 21 September 1864 | |
5 | 18 July 1865 | 29 September 1865 | |
6 | 31 July 1866 | 10 September 1866 (Dissolved 18 September 1866) | |
4 | 1 | 20 November 1866 | 20 February 1867 |
2 | 20 August 1867 | 11 October 1867 | |
3 | 28 July 1868 | 17 September 1868 | |
4 | 24 August 1869 | 22 October 1869 | |
5 | 23 August 1870 | 18 October 1870 (Dissolved 7 August 1871) | |
5 | 1 | 7 November 1871 | 21 December 1871 |
2 | 25 June 1872 | 19 August 1872 (Dissolved 20 August 1872) | |
6 | 1 | 22 October 1872 | 27 December 1872 |
2 | 17 June 1873 | 31 October 1873 | |
3 | 21 July 1874 | 18 September 1874 | |
4 | 27 July 1875 | 30 September 1875 | |
5 | 26 October 1875 | 3 November 1875 | |
6 | 12 September 1876 | 20 November 1876 | |
7 | 18 January 1877 | 27 January 1877 | |
8 | 24 April 1877 | 17 May 1877 (Dissolved 19 May 1877) | |
7 | 1 | 11 July 1877 | 9 August 1877 |
2 | 24 September 1877 | 11 December 1877 | |
3 | 16 July 1878 | 19 June 1879 | |
4 | 9 September 1879 | 11 March 1880 | |
5 | 10 August 1880 | 1 November 1880 | |
6 | 19 July 1881 | 8 November 1881 (Dissolved 5 May 1882) | |
8 | 1 | 11 July 1882 | 6 November 1882 |
2 | 24 July 1883 | 29 October 1883 | |
3 | 14 December 1883 | 20 December 1883 | |
4 | 1 July 1884 | 24 November 1884 | |
5 | 21 July 1885 | 5 December 1885 (Dissolved 28 June 1886) | |
9 | 1 | 24 August 1886 | 8 December 1886 |
2 | 12 July 1887 | 20 December 1887 | |
3 | 29 May 1888 | 4 February 1889 | |
4 | 9 July 1889 | 11 December 1889 | |
5 | 1 July 1890 | 28 November 1890 (Dissolved 30 April 1891) | |
10 | 1 | 7 July 1891 | 23 December 1891 |
2 | 26 July 1892 | 21 December 1892 | |
3 | 18 July 1893 | 14 November 1893 (Dissolved 2 December 1893) | |
11 | 1 | 27 February 1894 | 3 September 1894 |
2 | 23 October 1894 | 26 October 1894 | |
3 | 25 June 1895 | 24 October 1895 | |
4 | 7 January 1896 | 10 January 1896 | |
5 | 7 July 1896 | 26 November 1896 (Dissolved 29 December 1896) | |
12 | 1 | 9 March 1897 | 11 March 1897 |
2 | 13 July 1897 | 24 December 1897 | |
3 | 3 May 1898 | 29 October 1898 | |
4 | 30 May 1899 | 22 December 1899 (Dissolved 26 January 1900) | |
13 | 1 | 24 April 1900 | 11 January 1901 |
2 | 28 May 1901 | 8 January 1902 | |
3 | 22 July 1902 | 1 November 1902 | |
4 | 12 November 1902 | 20 December 1902 (Dissolved 11 March 1903) | |
14 | 1 | 21 May 1903 | 25 May 1903 |
2 | 18 August 1903 | 8 January 1904 | |
3 | 15 March 1904 | 24 May 1904 | |
4 | 7 June 1904 | 11 November 1904 | |
5 | 11 July 1905 | 20 November 1905 (Dissolved 2 March 1906) | |
15 | 1 | 29 May 1906 | 18 June 1906 |
2 | 10 July 1906 | 30 November 1906 | |
3 | 9 July 1907 | 5 December 1907 | |
4 | 14 July 1908 | 14 December 1908 (Dissolved 26 March 1909) | |
16 | 1 | 29 June 1909 | 13 January 1910 |
2 | 12 July 1910 | 13 January 1911 | |
3 | 18 July 1911 | 23 January 1912 (Dissolved 4 April 1912) | |
17 | 1 | 2 July 1912 | 19 December 1912 (Dissolved 27 December 1912) |
18 | 1 | 22 April 1913 | 6 January 1914 |
2 | 25 March 1914 | 18 February 1915 | |
3 | 30 June 1915 | 20 January 1916 (Dissolved 9 February 1916) | |
19 | 1 | 16 May 1916 | 18 May 1916 |
2 | 1 August 1916 | 27 February 1917 | |
3 | 31 July 1917 | 5 May 1918 | |
4 | 30 July 1918 | 25 January 1919 (Dissolved 5 April 1919) | |
20 | 1 | 22 July 1919 | 6 January 1920 |
2 | 3 August 1920 | 11 January 1921 | |
3 | 27 July 1921 | 14 February 1922 (Dissolved 27 April 1922) | |
21 | 1 | 25 June 1922 | 6 April 1923 |
2 | 26 June 1923 | 9 April 1924 | |
3 | 29 July 1924 | 23 February 1925 (Dissolved 20 April 1925) | |
22 | 1 | 28 July 1925 | 30 April 1926 |
2 | 27 July 1926 | 18 February 1927 | |
3 | 24 May 1927 | 21 June 1927 | |
4 | 27 July 1927 | 20 January 1928 (Dissolved 12 April 1928) | |
23 | 1 | 17 July 1928 | 2 August 1928 |
2 | 22 August 1928 | 11 February 1929 | |
3 | 26 June 1929 | 20 January 1930 | |
4 | 16 July 1930 | 26 January 1931 (Dissolved 25 March 1931) | |
24 | 1 | 8 July 1931 | 22 January 1932 |
2 | 2 March 1932 | 4 April 1932 | |
3 | 25 May 1932 | 17 March 1933 | |
4 | 23 June 1933 | 29 June 1933 | |
5 | 27 September 1933 | 21 December 1933 (Dissolved 30 April 1934) | |
25 | 1 | 18 July 1934 | 28 August 1934 |
2 | 25 September 1934 | 25 February 1935 | |
3 | 24 July 1935 | 6 February 1936 | |
4 | 28 July 1936 | 14 January 1937 (Dissolved 14 January 1937) | |
26 | 1 | 23 March 1937 | 14 July 1937 |
2 | 28 September 1937 | 4 February 1938 | |
3 | 20 July 1938 | 25 November 1938 | |
4 | 30 November 1938 | 7 March 1939 | |
5 | 25 July 1939 | 15 September 1939 | |
6 | 24 October 1939 | 16 February 1940 | |
7 | 14 May 1940 | 11 September 1940 | |
8 | 8 October 1940 | 17 April 1941 | |
9 | 20 May 1941 | 12 November 1941 (Dissolved 14 November 1941) | |
27 | 1 | 10 February 1942 | 12 February 1943 |
2 | 30 March 1943 | 27 July 1944 | |
3 | 27 September 1944 | 4 September 1945 | |
4 | 25 September 1945 | 22 July 1946 | |
5 | 4 September 1946 | 25 October 1946 (Dissolved 29 October 1946) | |
28 | 1 | 26 February 1947 | 5 February 1948 |
2 | 18 February 1948 | 26 July 1948 (Dissolved 26 July 1948) | |
29 | 1 | 8 September 1948 | 8 March 1949 |
2 | 15 March 1949 | 2 February 1950 (Dissolved 23 March 1950) | |
30 | 1 | 7 June 1950 | 26 February 1951 |
2 | 20 March 1951 | 18 February 1952 | |
3 | 25 March 1952 | 20 February 1953 | |
4 | 3 March 1953 | 2 February 1954 | |
5 | 22 February 1954 | 14 January 1955 (Dissolved 14 January 1955) | |
31 | 1 | 13 April 1955 | 29 February 1956 |
2 | 14 March 1956 | 20 September 1956 (Dissolved 20 September 1956) | |
32 | 1 | 29 October 1956 | 27 November 1956 |
2 | 4 December 1956 | 18 March 1958 | |
3 | 13 May 1958 | 24 February 1959 (Dissolved 9 April 1959) | |
33 | 1 | 2 June 1959 | 22 March 1960 |
2 | 27 April 1960 | 14 April 1961 | |
3 | 20 June 1961 | 15 March 1962 | |
4 | 20 March 1962 | 19 February 1963 | |
5 | 6 March 1963 | 9 March 1964 (Dissolved 2 April 1964) | |
34 | 1 | 25 June 1964 | 13 April 1965 |
2 | 28 April 1965 | 22 March 1966 | |
3 | 18 May 1966 | 10 March 1967 | |
4 | 24 May 1967 | 11 March 1968 | |
5 | 30 April 1968 | 18 March 1969 (Dissolved 11 April 1969) | |
35 | 1 | 17 June 1969 | 24 February 1970 |
2 | 11 March 1970 | 17 February 1971 | |
3 | 3 March 1971 | 15 February 1972 | |
4 | 8 March 1972 | 15 March 1972 (Dissolved 15 March 1972) | |
36 | 1 | 7 June 1972 | 5 March 1973 |
2 | 21 March 1973 | 1 March 1974 | |
3 | 20 March 1974 | 14 March 1975 | |
4 | 2 April 1975 | 10 March 1976 | |
5 | 30 March 1976 | 17 November 1976 (Dissolved 17 November 1976) | |
37 | 1 | 14 February 1977 | 18 July 1978 |
2 | 15 August 1978 | 14 December 1978 | |
3 | 13 March 1979 | 21 June 1979 (Dissolved 2 July 1979) | |
38 | 1 | 11 September 1979 | 13 February 1980 |
2 | 5 March 1980 | 7 July 1981 | |
3 | 25 August 1981 | 14 December 1981 | |
4 | 26 March 1982 | 26 March 1982 (Dissolved 27 March 1982) | |
39 | 1 | 15 June 1982 | 8 March 1983 |
2 | 6 April 1983 | 21 February 1984 | |
3 | 21 March 1984 | 14 February 1985 | |
4 | 6 March 1985 | 7 January 1986 (Dissolved 7 January 1986) | |
40 | 1 | 12 March 1986 | 2 February 1987 |
2 | 4 March 1987 | 14 March 1988 | |
3 | 30 March 1988 | 18 April 1989 (Dissolved 18 April 1989) | |
41 | 1 | 28 June 1989 | 28 February 1990 |
2 | 3 April 1990 | 28 February 1991 | |
3 | 3 April 1991 | 2 January 1992 (Dissolved 2 January 1992) | |
42 | 1 | 14 April 1992 | 5 February 1993 |
2 | 2 March 1993 | 22 March 1994 | |
3 | 12 April 1994 | 1 March 1995 | |
4 | 28 March 1995 | 24 January 1996 (Expired 25 January 1996) | |
43 | 1 | 23 April 1996 | 28 February 1997 |
2 | 11 March 1997 | 17 March 1998 | |
3 | 24 March 1998 | 29 July 1998 (Dissolved 29 July 1998) | |
44 | 1 | 6 October 1998 | 21 March 2000 |
2 | 30 March 2000 | 1 February 2002 | |
3 | 12 March 2002 | 21 June 2002 (Dissolved 21 June 2002) | |
45 | 1 | 24 September 2002 | 5 March 2004 |
2 | 7 April 2004 | 17 February 2006 (Dissolved 17 February 2006) | |
46 | 1 | 30 May 2006 | 22 February 2008 |
2 | 4 March 2008 | 12 February 2010 (Dissolved 12 February 2010) | |
47 | 1 | 4 May 2010 | 12 February 2014 (Dissolved 12 February 2014) |
48 | 1 | 6 May 2014 | 28 January 2018 (Dissolved 28 January 2018) |
49 | 1 | 1 May 2018 | 26 February 2019 |
2 | 19 March 2019 | 26 March 2021 (Dissolved 26 March 2021) | |
50 | 1 | 22 June 2021 | 5 April 2022 |
2 | 3 May 2022 | 1 August 2022 | |
3 | 16 August 2022 | 14 February 2024 (Dissolved 14 February 2024) | |
51 | 1 | 14 May 2024 | 11 June 2025 (Dissolved 11 June 2025) |