The House in Review

Friday 27 August 2021 marked the 119th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in NSW under the NSW Women's Franchise Act 1902. This was an important step in the enfranchisement of women, however, it was but the first stage in an uphill battle towards women's social and political equality in the state. This … Continue reading Looking back: Women’s enfranchisement in NSW

On Tuesday the Legislative Council met for the first time since June, albeit looking a little different than usual! Screens were installed at the rear of the Chamber to allow members to appear remotely, while only a 'quorum' of members were physically present. The sitting lasted for just under an hour, before the President left … Continue reading In the House – Tuesday 14 September 2021

Through the parliamentary twinning program, the NSW Parliament is paired with the parliaments of Solomon Islands and Bougainville. In this edition of Twin Peeks, we feature an interview with the Honourable Patteson Oti, Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands… Can you give us a quick overview of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands? … Continue reading Twin Peeks: Meet the Speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands, the Hon Patteson Oti

Although history may not necessarily repeat, in difficult times it can bring us the comfort of repetition. But just how much has the Parliament's response to pandemics changed in the 100 years since the Spanish Flu first arrived on our shores in 1919? Is the response to COVID-19, as Shirley Bassey famously sang, "just a … Continue reading (Un)Precedented times in parliament

The House was due to sit this week, but the August sittings have been postponed to September. What happened and how? And where to from here? THE LONG WINTER (BREAK) With the Delta variant of COVID-19 circulating in Sydney, Parliament was locked down throughout July. The building continues to remain closed to the public, and … Continue reading The Legislative Council in lockdown

Our blog post for the last sitting week included a comprehensive explanation of the proceedings on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Local Government Elections) Bill 2021. This week we're taking a closer look at the unusual procedure the House used to divide or 'split' the bill. This is a rare occurrence in the Legislative Council, having … Continue reading Splitting up is hard to do… but the Council manages just fine!

Parliamentary twinning is a program that pairs parliaments across the Pacific, but what does that mean in practice? Find out more in this quick overview, as we aim to keep connected to our colleagues in Bougainville and Solomon Islands, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. TWINNING BASICS The twinning program, initiated by the Commonwealth … Continue reading Twin Peeks: A closer look at parliamentary ‘twinning’