After almost three months without a sitting of parliament, the NSW Government has put back the return of in-person Parliament until mid-October.  

The move has been widely criticised by non-government MPs, who have loudly objected to the recent decision which has also extended the suspension to the Upper House.  

Member for Barwon Roy Butler has objected the decision to postpone a sitting of the Legislative Assembly for another month, arguing that without parliament sitting, decision making is frequently ‘city-centric’. 

“Decisions are being made without consultation with regional communities, and often without their elected representatives,” said Mr Butler.  

Mr Butler argues that the NSW Government has already been absent from responsibility and questioning for two months too long.   

“That’s two months in which the NSW Government hasn’t been forced to answer questions from elected representatives – two months without accountability,” he said.   

Instead of postponement MLCs are calling for Parliament to resume under a COVIDsafe Plan, which involves compulsory rapid testing of all sitting members, as well as operating with only a skeleton staff.   

Leader of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Robert Borsak said that one of the key issues that Parliament needs to sit for is to address the issue that Legislative Council (Upper House) sittings cannot conduct completely virtual sittings under the NSW Constitution Act, and that this should be amended in Parliament, so that it can resume in a virtual setting. 

The Shooters Fishers and Farmers, One Nation, Labor, the Christian Democrats, Animal Justice and The Greens – voted recently to return the Legislative Council or Upper House.  

A comprehensive COVID safe plan was drawn up – it included social distancing, cleaning protocols, increased airflow – they believe all bases where covered. 

However Minister Damien Tudehope said the move to resume “puts Parliamentary staff, their families and our community at the risk of transmitting COVID-19." 

He advised that "no Government Minister or Parliamentary Secretary would attend the Legislative Council", a move that would stymie any attempt to bring members of the Upper House back to the table. Without a Minister attending the Chamber the Legislative Council cannot legally sit under the NSW Parliament Standing Orders.  

Other Upper and Lower House members have also argued that the Health Orders permit “Gathering at Parliament for the purpose of its normal operations.” 

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Labor's Penny Sharpe says that accountability is not optional.   

“If we are sending 15 and 16-year-olds to work at Coles and Woolworths and expect frontline health workers to go about their job protecting us, then the parliament should be sitting too,’ Ms Sharpe said.    

"New South Wales is the only Australian jurisdiction where the parliament hasn’t been sitting. The last sitting was in June." 

Roy Butler thanked all those who signed a Petition he brought forward calling for Parliament to resume.  

"At the 21 August 2021 COVID briefing, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, “...I’m the Premier of the largest State in Australia, and I expect to be held to account, I expect every decision that we (NSW Government) take to be scrutinised, to be commented upon...”," Mr Butler quoted.  

"If the Premier’s statement is genuine, then she needs to demonstrate her willingness for both her and her government to be scrutinised and held to account."  

"The Premier needs to recall NSW Parliament, including the Legislative Assembly, where the representatives whom the community elected to represent them, can hold the Premier and your government to account," Mr Butler said.

The NSW Government have advised their plans to resume Parliament "when it is safe to do so" which at this stage is on October 12. They have issued a statement outlining activities involving elected representatives that have been conducted during lockdown.

"During COVID-19 restrictions, the NSW Parliament has conducted eight Budget Estimates hearings and three Public Accountability Committee Hearings," a government spokesperson said. 

"Currently, there are 24 inquiries open, all of which the Government is cooperating with and Members of the Legislative Council are still able to ask questions on notice on any weekday." 

The spokesperson says the NSW Government has made it clear it would make up the lost sitting days.