Rearrangement of Business
Speakers
Summary
This motion concerns the rearrangement of the parliamentary order of business as moved by Leader of the House Ms Indranee Rajah pursuant to Standing Order 10(2). She proposed prioritizing the Motion on Singapore’s COVID-19 Response to provide certainty in timing for invited healthcare and frontline workers who were present to be acknowledged for their efforts. This adjustment was intended to avoid inconveniencing the workers by preventing the motion from starting late in the evening after the conclusion of other legislative business. The revised sequence placed the COVID-19 motion before the Second Readings of the Misuse of Drugs, Constitution, and Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bills. Parliament agreed to the motion, and the House proceeded with the revised schedule following the conclusion of the Introduction of Government Bills.
Transcript
Mr Speaker: Order. Leader.
The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That, pursuant to Standing Order 10(2), the order of business for today's Sitting be varied, such that after the Introduction of Government Bills, the items of business be taken in the following order: first, Motion on Singapore’s COVID-19 Response; second, Second Reading of the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill; third, Second Reading of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill; and fourth, Second Reading of the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill."
Mr Speaker, we will be debating the Motion on Singapore's COVID-19 Response later today. Our healthcare and frontline workers had been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. We have thus invited representative healthcare and frontline workers to attend Parliament when the Motion is moved, so that we can acknowledge their efforts and put on record our gratitude and appreciation to all the healthcare and frontline workers in their presence.
Under the current Order of Business in the Order Paper, the commencement time of the Motion is variable, depending on the duration of the speeches and clarifications in the Second Readings of the three Bills. It would also likely start only in the evening. As such, I am moving to revise the Order of Business as stated earlier, to provide certainty in timetabling and not inconvenience these healthcare and frontline workers, many of whom may have had to take time off to attend. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.
Question put, and agreed to.
Resolved, "That, pursuant to Standing Order 10(2), the order of business for today's Sitting be varied, such that after the Introduction of Government Bills, the items of business be taken in the following order: first, Motion on Singapore’s COVID-19 Response; second, Second Reading of the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill; third, Second Reading of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill; and fourth, Second Reading of the Resource Sustainability (Amendment) Bill." – [Ms Indranee Rajah].
Mr Speaker: Order. Questions for Oral Answer. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.