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Author: Jebediah Crumplesnatch MP
Sponsor: N/A
Type: Act of Parliament
Preamble: This bill is aims to codify the rules surrounding Parliamentary Laves of Absence, and provide guidelines for both the presiding office and for MPs.
1. Procedures
(a) Any Member of Parliament wishing to take a leave of absence must seek the approval of the presiding office before taking leave.
(i) MPs must have a valid reason for their absence, including but not limited to: Health problems, Technical Issues (No internet, Broken PC etc), Vacations, Exams, or National Holidays.
(ii) Requests must include a specific return date for the leave to be valid. This is to ensure the House is best informed about its members. This leave can be extended at any point.
(b) The presiding office is required to allow any requests for a Leave of Absence provided that members have provided a valid reason, and a specified end date.
(i) The presiding office must explain any reasons for refusal, and allow members to edit their request in order to ensure compliance with the rules.
(c) Whilst on Leave, members may appoint proxy voters to vote on their behalf.
(i) Proxy Voters must be members of Parliament, preferably within the same party where possible.
(ii) The on-leave members vote will be counted alongside the proxy voters own. Members on-leave should be aware that this may result in a members vote being cast in a way they do not agree with, however they are not in a position to change this without either ending their leave, or appointing a new proxy. A new proxy will only be counted towards votes that are still open when the new proxy is appointed.
(iii) Members must provide written consent before being officially acknowledged as the official proxy voter.
2. Enforcement
(a) Members on leave may not participate in votes, and will have any votes cast discounted unless the leave of absence is ended before the vote has closed.
(i) Members who end their leave within 24 hours of a vote closing may not cast a point of order to reopen a vote.
(ii) As members on leave are not able to participate in votes, they cannot receive penalties for not casting votes.
(b) If a leave of absence is discovered to have been invalid, the member will not receive penalty for missed votes.
(i) Any votes missed before the realisation of leave being invalid will be officially recorded as an abstention.
(ii) If a proxy voter was appointed, these votes will no longer be valid and will be officially recorded as an abstention.
(iii) Once a leave of absence has been discovered to be invalid, members are required to either correct any errors to validate the remainder of their absence, or resume their duties within the house.
(c) If a members leave of absence extends to cover two thirds of a parliamentary term, they are expected to resign in order to allow constituents the opportunity to elect a new member who will be able to represent them.
(i) A by-election will take place if there is more than two weeks remaining in the parliamentary term. This by-election will be cancelled if an early election is called.
(ii) The seat will remain empty until the general election if there are less than two weeks remaining in the parliamentary term.
(ii) Members who resign for this reason will face no restrictions on their ability to stand in future elections, including the by-election to replace them.
Enactment: This Act comes into force at the beginning of the next parliamentary term.
Sponsor: N/A
Type: Act of Parliament
A
BILL
TO
CODIFY THE RULES SURROUNDING PARLIAMENTARY LEAVES OF ABSENCE
BILL
TO
CODIFY THE RULES SURROUNDING PARLIAMENTARY LEAVES OF ABSENCE
Preamble: This bill is aims to codify the rules surrounding Parliamentary Laves of Absence, and provide guidelines for both the presiding office and for MPs.
1. Procedures
(a) Any Member of Parliament wishing to take a leave of absence must seek the approval of the presiding office before taking leave.
(i) MPs must have a valid reason for their absence, including but not limited to: Health problems, Technical Issues (No internet, Broken PC etc), Vacations, Exams, or National Holidays.
(ii) Requests must include a specific return date for the leave to be valid. This is to ensure the House is best informed about its members. This leave can be extended at any point.
(b) The presiding office is required to allow any requests for a Leave of Absence provided that members have provided a valid reason, and a specified end date.
(i) The presiding office must explain any reasons for refusal, and allow members to edit their request in order to ensure compliance with the rules.
(c) Whilst on Leave, members may appoint proxy voters to vote on their behalf.
(i) Proxy Voters must be members of Parliament, preferably within the same party where possible.
(ii) The on-leave members vote will be counted alongside the proxy voters own. Members on-leave should be aware that this may result in a members vote being cast in a way they do not agree with, however they are not in a position to change this without either ending their leave, or appointing a new proxy. A new proxy will only be counted towards votes that are still open when the new proxy is appointed.
(iii) Members must provide written consent before being officially acknowledged as the official proxy voter.
2. Enforcement
(a) Members on leave may not participate in votes, and will have any votes cast discounted unless the leave of absence is ended before the vote has closed.
(i) Members who end their leave within 24 hours of a vote closing may not cast a point of order to reopen a vote.
(ii) As members on leave are not able to participate in votes, they cannot receive penalties for not casting votes.
(b) If a leave of absence is discovered to have been invalid, the member will not receive penalty for missed votes.
(i) Any votes missed before the realisation of leave being invalid will be officially recorded as an abstention.
(ii) If a proxy voter was appointed, these votes will no longer be valid and will be officially recorded as an abstention.
(iii) Once a leave of absence has been discovered to be invalid, members are required to either correct any errors to validate the remainder of their absence, or resume their duties within the house.
(c) If a members leave of absence extends to cover two thirds of a parliamentary term, they are expected to resign in order to allow constituents the opportunity to elect a new member who will be able to represent them.
(i) A by-election will take place if there is more than two weeks remaining in the parliamentary term. This by-election will be cancelled if an early election is called.
(ii) The seat will remain empty until the general election if there are less than two weeks remaining in the parliamentary term.
(ii) Members who resign for this reason will face no restrictions on their ability to stand in future elections, including the by-election to replace them.
Enactment: This Act comes into force at the beginning of the next parliamentary term.