what is a joint sitting in australia
In Australia, a joint sitting refers to a special session of the Parliament where both houses - the House of Representatives and the Senate - come together to deliberate on and pass legislation. This is a unique procedure that occurs when there is a disagreement between the houses on a particular bill.
According to Section 57 of the Australian Constitution, a joint sitting can be initiated if a bill has been rejected twice by the Senate or if there has been a deadlock between the houses with regard to amendments to a bill. The Governor-General has the authority to convene a joint sitting, and it is usually presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
During a joint sitting, members from both houses gather in the House of Representatives chamber. The bill that needs to be reconsidered is debated and voted upon. At the joint sitting, the vote of all members present is counted, without the need for a separate vote by each house. If the bill receives a majority vote, it is deemed to have been passed by the Parliament and becomes law.
Joint sittings are relatively rare in Australian politics. Since the introduction of this provision in the Constitution in 1901, only three joint sittings have taken place - in 1974, 1976, and 1987. They are seen as a mechanism to break deadlocks between the houses and ensure the passage of important legislation.