Yellow, red cards for misconduct in Parliament

NEW disciplinary measures are expected in Parliament under the amended Standing Orders.
According to recommendations of the Standing Orders Committee, MPs will be subjected to a “yellow card” and a “red card for” misconduct in the House.
The committee made the recommendations in its review report of Parliament’s Standing Orders that was tabled on Friday.
The report stated a yellow card would be issued for disorderly conduct.
“Where the Speaker considers the conduct of a member to be disorderly, the Speaker may order the member to withdraw from the Parliament for up to one and a half hours,” the report states.
“That order is not open to debate or dissent. The member, whilst suspended, may not return to the chamber to vote in a division nor to ask nor answer a question and no other member may ask a question on that member’s behalf.
“If a member is ordered to withdraw under clause (a) and the Parliament adjourns before the end of the suspension period, the member, subject to clause (b), will not return to the chamber on the next sitting day until the remaining time has expired. Time is calculated from the end of the ringing of the bells.”
The “red card” will be used for suspension for grossly disorderly conduct.
“A member may be named by the Speaker for persistently and wilfully obstructing the business of the Parliament, being guilty of disorderly conduct, using offensive words, and refusing to withdraw or apologise, persistently and wilfully refusing to conform to any Standing Order, rule or practice of the House, persistently and wilfully disregarding the authority of the chair and refusing to immediately follow an order to withdraw.
“A member who has been named is suspended on the first occasion, for three days (excluding the day of suspension), on the second occasion during the same session, for seven days (excluding the day of suspension) and on the third or any subsequent occasion during the same session, for 28 days (excluding the day of suspension).
“A member who is suspended who refuses to obey a direction of the Speaker to leave the chamber is suspended from the service of Parliament for the remainder of the calendar year.”
The amendments to the Standing Orders will be debated on July 12.