NEW GUINEA.

No. 63 of 1935.

An Act to amend the New Guinea Act 1920–1932.

[Assented to 9th December, 1935.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.)     This Act may be cited as the New Guinea Act 1935.

(2.)  The New Guinea Act 1920–1932 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.)  The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the New Guinea Act 1920–1935.

Executive Council.

2.  Section twelve of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following sub-sections:—

“(7.)  The non-official members of the Legislative Council may choose one of their number to act as the deputy of the non-official member of the Executive Council and forward to the Administrator a notification in writing of the name of the member chosen.

“(8.)  The Governor-General may appoint—

(a) the non-official member chosen in pursuance of the last preceding sub-section; or

(b) if the Administrator has not received a notification in pursuance of that sub-section, any non-official member of the Legislative Council or any other person not being an officer of the Territory,

to be the deputy of the non-official member of the Executive Council.

“(9.)  Whenever, on account of illness or absence from the Territory, the non-official member of the Executive Council is unable to perform his duties as a member of the Executive Council, or when the non-official member has been exempted by the Administrator from attendance at any meeting of the Executive Council, the deputy of the non-official member may act as a member of the Executive Council in the place of the non-official member, and may, during such illness or absence from the Territory of the non-official member or in respect of any meeting from attendance at which he has been exempted, exercise and perform all the powers and functions of a member of the Executive Council.”.

3.  After section nineteen of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Sessions and prorogation of Legislative Council.

“19a.  The Administrator may, by notice published in the New Guinea Gazette, appoint such times for holding the sessions of the Legislative Council as he thinks fit, and may also, from time to time, in a similar manner, prorogue the Council.”.