CONSTITUTION

• AIMS
• MEMBERSHIP
• OFFICE BEARERS
• MEETINGS
• AMENDMENTS

AIMS

1. The Australasian and Pacific Hansard Editors Association is a non profit organisation.
2. The aims of the association shall be as follows:
3. 1. To promote cooperation between the members on all matters of interest relating to the reporting of Parliamentary debates and the production of Hansard.
   2. To exchange ideas and to discuss problems and developing trends in this field.
   3. To encourage interest in reporting and the skills required therefor with a view to enlarging the field of recruitment for reporters in all categories and particularly for Parliamentary reporting staffs.

MEMBERSHIP

3. Membership of the association shall be open to the managers of the Parliamentary reporting staffs of: Australian Capital Territory, Commonwealth of Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New South Wales, New Zealand, Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea, Queensland, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Australia, Tasmania, Tonga, Victoria, Western Australia; and officers who are principally involved in the editing of debates in other legislatures, as may be approved by a three-fourths majority of members, provided that the manager or officer involved is the principal editorial officer of the Hansard concerned and is qualified and able to discuss in depth and detail all facets of day-to-day working, management, technical and professional requirements of Hansard, from reporting through to publication.
4. If a member is unable to attend a meeting of the association the deputy or other delegated representative of that member may attend and shall have full rights of voting and participation in deliberations.

OFFICE BEARERS

5. The president, vice president and secretary of the association shall be elected by the general meeting hosted by a member jurisdiction and shall be appointed to hold office until the next general meeting hosted by a member jurisdiction or until a successor has been elected.
6. The president shall be the member from the host jurisdiction and the vice president shall be the member from the jurisdiction determined to host the next meeting.
7. The secretary of the association shall be a member with at least three years' service.

MEETINGS

8. General meetings of the association will be held every 18 months, with every second meeting being an administrative meeting to be held at the same venue as, and either immediately before, after or at an appropriate time during the Commonwealth Hansard editors Association triennial conference in July/August. The secretary of the association will be responsible for organising the administrative meeting. Meetings hosted by member jurisdictions will be held every third January and will be of three days' duration.
9. Venues of meetings hosted by member jurisdictions shall be proposed at general meetings in January and confirmed at administrative meetings in July. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, venues may be altered by the president or vice-president in conjunction with the secretary. Offers to host future meetings should be forwarded to the secretary prior to the general meeting, and agreement in principle from the host legislature should be obtained.

AMENDMENTS

10. Amendments to the constitution, previously circulated to members, shall be made only at general meetings of the association, and shall be agreed to by a three-fourths majority of members.

September 2000

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Last date modified 19 January 2007.