Parliament thrown into ’emergency mode’ due to COVID-19

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the parliamentary calendar may need to be thrown out the window as the coronavirus pandemic could force the parliament into “emergency mode”. Mr Morrison on Friday announced the Budget, which was to be handed down in May, would be pushed back until October. The upcoming sitting of parliament - which had only been convened to pass the government’s coronavirus stimulus measures - will only be attended by a skeleton of MPs and Senators. When asked on Sunday if further sittings could also be rescheduled, Mr Morrison said parliament may be only called when it needs to be to pass emergency legislation and not for general sittings. “We have to be conscious of the fact that because of the spread of the virus, it may not be physically possible to convene the parliament over the next six months and we have to prepare for those contingencies,” he said. “The plan is to move to a much more emergency mode operation for parliament to ensure the primacy of the parliament is respected in ensuring any of the measures taken to support Australians are done so inconsistency without parliament.” Via news.com.au — Australia’s #1 news site https://www.news.com.au