Commonwealth Numbered Acts

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMISSION ACT 1989 No. 150 of 1989 - SECT 44

44. (1) The Commission Chairperson shall convene at least 4 meetings of the
Commission in each calendar year, and may convene such other meetings of the
Commission as, in the Chairperson's opinion, are necessary for the efficient
performance of its functions.

(2) The Minister may, at any time, convene a meeting of the Commission.

(3) The Commission Chairperson shall convene a meeting of the Commission upon
receipt of a written request for a meeting signed by at least 8 Commissioners.

(4) At a meeting of the Commission a quorum is constituted by 12
Commissioners.

(5) Where:

   (a)  a Commissioner who is present at a meeting is required by section 37
        not to be present during the deliberations, or to take part in any
        decision, of the Commission with respect to a particular matter;

   (b)  when the Commissioner leaves the meeting there is no longer a quorum
        present; and

   (c)  there are at least 8 Commissioners remaining at the meeting; those
        remaining Commissioners constitute a quorum for the purpose of any
        deliberation or decision at that meeting with respect to that matter.

(6) The Commission Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Commission
at which he or she is present.

(7) If the Commission Chairperson is not present at a meeting of the
Commission:

   (a)  if the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission is present, the Deputy
        Chairperson of the Commission shall preside at the meeting; and

   (b)  in any other case, the Commissioners present shall elect one of their
        number to preside at the meeting.

(8) Questions arising at a meeting of the Commission shall be determined by a
majority of the votes of the Commissioners present and voting.

(9) The person presiding at a meeting of the Commission has a deliberative
vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also has a casting vote.

(10) The Commission may regulate the conduct of proceedings at its meetings as
it thinks fit and shall cause minutes of those proceedings to be kept.

(11) If the Commission so determines, a Commissioner may participate in, and
form part of a quorum at, a meeting of the Commission by means of any of the
following methods of communication:

   (a)  telephone;

   (b)  closed circuit television;

   (c)  another method of communication determined by the Commission.

(12) A determination of the Commission under subsection (11) may be made in
respect of a particular meeting, or in respect of all meetings, of the
Commission.

(13) A Commissioner who participates in a meeting as provided by subsection
(11) shall be taken for the purposes of this section and section 37 to be
present at the meeting.