Constitution Review Commission has recommended that the Speaker of the House of Representatives be selected from outside Parliament, arguing this would prevent a governing party or coalition from losing a voting member in a closely divided House.
The Commission considered whether the Speaker should be chosen from among elected MPs or externally, with particular attention given to how the arrangement could affect coalition governments.
It said selecting an MP as Speaker could become significant when parliamentary numbers are tight because that member would move to the Speaker’s chair and no longer participate as an ordinary voting member.
The Commission therefore favoured a neutral Speaker from outside the House, which it said would avoid the loss of a voting member.
The proposal takes on added significance under the Commission’s wider recommendations for a 41-member House of Representatives and a Cabinet limited to a maximum of 15 members.
The Commission has, however, recommended retaining the convention that the Deputy Speaker be elected from among MPs who are not ministers.
It has also proposed changes intended to strengthen the independence of the Secretary-General to Parliament.
Under the recommendation, the Secretary-General would continue to be appointed by the President, but on the advice of a proposed independent and non-political Constitutional Offices Commission.
The Commission said the arrangement would strengthen the Secretary-General’s ability to provide independent procedural advice to the Speaker and MPs, while remaining directly answerable to the Speaker and insulated from government or opposition influence.
It has also recommended removing some of the detailed administrative provisions concerning Parliament from the Constitution, with matters such as salaries and funding dealt with through the proposed independent Salaries and Benefits Commission and other details left to legislation or Standing Orders.
