ksazma posted:Django posted:https://www.loc.gov/law/help/p...es/supermajority.php
Australia
Both the Australian House of Representatives and Senate have rules that enable motions to be moved for the suspension of standing orders.[1] Such motions may be used to change the order of business before the relevant house,[2] or to permit the introduction of bills and their passage without delay,[3] among other matters.[4] If motions to suspend standing orders are moved without notice, then an “absolute majority” of members must vote in favor of the motion.[5] This means that more than half of the total number of members of the relevant house must vote in favor of the motion, as opposed to a simple majority where only a majority of those present for the vote must vote in favor of the motion.[6]
However, most motions to suspend standing orders are moved by a special type of notice called a “contingent notice” in order to avoid the need to obtain the agreement of an absolute majority of the house. Such motions only require the agreement of a simple majority.[7] In addition, other mechanisms (referred to as the “guillotine”) that do not require the agreement of an absolute majority are available to government ministers with respect to placing time limits on debates for bills that are declared urgent.[8]
This is where the Coalition's argument is running into a brick wall. Absolute majority means every MP has to vote and the side that has less votes loses. A simple majority means that only those willing to vote need to and the side that has less votes loses. On December 21, 2018, the 33 votes acquired by the PPP is the absolute majority of ALL 65 MPs voting. too bad the Coalition's shittings came only after Charrandas voted with the PPP for had five of them start their shittings before the vote and been out of the chambers during the vote, the PPP could have had only their 32 votes and the Coalition could have had only 28 and still the PPP would have lost the motion since only 60 MPs would have voted. But no one ever accused the Coalition of not being hapless.
Guyana's constitution doesn't say anything about absolute and simple majority. Neither does it say that 34+32=65. That was all PNC conundrum.