This week, proceedings in the Legislative Council were largely dominated by procedural motions, as the Opposition sought to advance their amendments to the Parliamentary Evidence Act in both Houses of Parliament. Meanwhile, ongoing issues surrounding the Government’s failure to comply with an order for papers led to the Leader of the Government being suspended from the House on two occasions during the week, a historically very rare event.
In other business, the House passed two bills related to surveillance devices and elections, and agreed to six orders for papers. A new statutory review was also agreed to, with the Public Accountability and Works Committee now set to review the Electric Vehicles (Revenue Arrangements) Act 2021.
Read on for more…
PRESIDENT’S RULING – INSTRUCTION TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
On Tuesday, President of the Legislative Council the Hon Ben Franklin, provided a ruling to the House regarding the Opposition’s instruction to a committee of the whole for amendments to the Parliamentary Evidence Act during the previous sitting week. The President ruled that the Opposition’s proposed instruction was out of order because the amendments on summoning witnesses were not sufficiently relevant to the subject matter of the bill or the legislation (the Local Government Act) it sought to amend. The ruling confirmed that Standing Order 186(3) cannot be used to attach unrelated legislative schemes to a bill, and the amendments could not be considered in Committee. Read the President’s full ruling in the Hansard record.
The Hon Damien Tudehope, Leader of the Opposition in the Council, immediately moved dissent from the ruling. This motion was adjourned until a later hour of the sitting, then adjourned until Thursday, and then adjourned again.
On Thursday, the Opposition attempted a different approach, moving that the House adopte a new sessional order that a committee could consider amendments to any Government billin relation to the appearance of witnesses before the House and its committees.
After debate on the motion, the President once again opted to reserve his ruling until a future sitting of the House, on 5 May 2026. Read the Opposition’s motion in full, and the ensuing debate, in the Hansard record.
CONTEMPT FOR FAILURE TO TABLE DOCUMENTS
This week saw continued developments regarding the Government’s failure to produce documents concerning an incident at NSW Parliament House.
On Tuesday Leader of the Government in the Council, Penny Sharpe, provided a further explanation as to why the documents had not been produced, referencing legal advice she had received advising that documents are “contemplated by Standing Order 55, not Standing Order 52”. Standing Order 55 captures documents related to the administration of justice as opposed to Government documents, captured by Standing Order 52. Read Minister Sharpe’s full statement in the Hansard record.
Following this statement, the House then agreed to a motion, moved by the Hon Mark Latham (Independent) to adjudge Minister Sharpe guilty of contempt for the Government’s failure to table these documents. With this motion agreed to on division (Ayes: 19/Noes: 13), Minister Sharpe was suspended from the chamber for the remainder of the sitting day. Read the full motion in the Hansard record. There has been only one previous suspension of a Leader of the Government (the Hon Don Harwin) in the decades since the suspensions of Treasurer the Hon Michael Egan in the 1990s.
With documents still not having been provided on Wednesday, Minister Sharpe was once again required to provide an explanation to the House. This explanation re-stated her explanation from the previous day that the Government’s legal advice stated that the documents sought did not fall within the definition of Standing Order 52.
On Thursday, the Hon Mark Latham moved a further motion adjudging Minister Sharpe guilt of contempt for the Government’s continued failure to table the requested documents. With the House agreeing to this motion on division (Ayes: 20/Noes:17) Minister Sharpe was suspended from the House for three calendar days and was escorted from the chamber by the Usher of the Black Rod. Read this motion in full in the Hansard record.
BILLS INTRODUCED
- Crimes and Summary Offences Amendment Bill 2025
- Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026
BILLS PASSED
- Surveillance Devices Amendment (Public Interest Exceptions) Bill 2026
- Electoral Legislation Amendment (Elections) Bill 2026
BILLS DEBATED
IN COMMITTEES
The following new inquiries were established in the House this week
- Review of the Electric Vehicles (Revenue Arrangements) Act 2021 by the Public Accountability and Works Committee
The following committee reports were either tabled or reported in the House this week:
- Report no. 46 of the Selection of Bills of Committee, dated 24 March 2026
- Delegated Legislation Monitor, report no. 4 of 2026 of the Delegated Legislation Committee dated March 2026
- Legislation Review Digest No. 43/58, report of the Legislation Review Committee dated 24 March 2026
- 2025 Review of the Advocate for Children and Young People and the Children’s Guardian, report 2/58 of the Committee on Children and Young People
GENERAL MOTIONS
| Topic | Moved by | Agreed to? |
| Fuel security in regional New South Wales and continued here | The Hon Sarah Mitchell (Nationals) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Australian Council of Trade Unions and Microsoft Australia agreement on Workers’ Rights and Artificial Intelligence | The Hon Mark Buttigieg (Labor) | Agreed to, as amended, on division (Ayes: 20/Noes: 14) |
| Great Western Highway road closure at Victoria Pass | The Hon Scott Barrett (Nationals) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Ministerial declarations of conflicts of interest | The Hon Mark Latham (Independent) | Agreed to, as amended, on division (Ayes: 17/Noes: 14) |
| Sale of defence assets | The Hon Rachel Merton (Liberal) | Negatived on division (Ayes: 11/Noes: 20) |
| Remote working by New South Wales public servants | Ms Abigail Boyd (The Greens) | Agreed to, as amended |
| Mr Isaiah Iongi | The Hon Jeremy Buckingham (Legalise Cannabis Party) | Interrupted for adjournment |
ORDERS FOR PAPERS
| Request | Moved by | Agreed to? | Due date |
| Gaming and gaming reforms – Further order | Ms Cate Faehrmann (The Greens) | Agreed to | 15 April 2026 |
| Ex gratia payments by the Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Inclusion | The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones (Liberal) | Agreed to, as amended | 8 April 2026 |
| Consideration of firearms licences | The Hon Mark Banasiak (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party) | Agreed to | 15 April 2026 |
| Greyhound racing industry participant registrations | The Hon Emma Hurst (Animal Justice Party) | Agreed to | 22 April 2026 |
| Greyhound racing tracks | The Hon Rachel Merton | Agreed to, as amended | 15 April 2026 |
| Insurance for solicitors in New South Wales | The Hon John Ruddick (Libertarian Party) | Agreed to | 15 April 2026 |