Summary
Annual Meeting is the formal meeting of Annual Conference. It is the highest authority within the Institute.
The functions of the annual meeting are to:
- consider the National Executive's report
- consider the financial report, note the Consumer Price Index adjustment to the subscriptions, and consider any further subscription increases needed
- elect the members of the National Executive (every second year, next happening in 2022)
- debate and determine issues of interest to the Institute, and set Institute policy accordingly
- amend or repeal these rules
- receive and consider the report from Te Kāhui Whetū
- receive a written report from the National Executive detailing all policy decisions that it or the Institute has made since the previous annual meeting
Standing Orders
Standing Orders are the rules of procedure for Annual Meeting. The Standing Orders below are set out in Section 53 of the NZEI Te Riu Roa Rules.
These standing orders apply at all times while in Annual Meeting sessions. During the Hui session of Annual Meeting, tikanga Māori applies. During all other Annual Conference sessions, these standing orders don't apply.
Chairperson
Institute meetings will be chaired by the National President unless he or she appoints someone else to act as Chairperson.
If the Chairperson rises to speak, all other representatives must sit down.
Hours of Session
The hours of session for Institute meetings will be determined by formal resolution.
Quorum
The quorum for any Institute meeting is half the representatives registered for that meeting.
If, half an hour after the start of any session, a quorum is not present, the Chairperson will postpone the session and set a time for reconvening the meeting.
Representatives' attendance will be recorded in a register.
Registered representatives must get the Chairperson's leave to be absent from a session.
Record of Proceedings
The National Secretary, or another person acting in that capacity, will keep minutes of the meeting proceedings.
The draft minutes will be circulated to representatives as soon as possible after the meeting, so that they can identify any errors and advise the National Secretary.
The draft minutes will then be considered by the National Executive, with any discussion being limited to their accuracy. The National Executive will correct any inaccuracies and pass a motion: 'That the minutes of annual meeting be signed as a correct record'.
Proposing motions and amendments
All motions and amendments to motions must be handed to the Chairperson in writing, in duplicate, and include the names of the mover and seconder.
The Chairperson will not accept any motion or amendment that is substantively the same as a matter already resolved earlier in the meeting.
The Chairperson will not accept any motion that deals with a matter that could have been raised using other annual meeting procedures, unless three-quarters of the registered representatives at the meeting agree to accept the motion.
Only one amendment will be considered at a time. When an amendment is accepted, debate on the motion will be suspended until the amendment has been disposed of.
A further amendment will only be considered when the previous amendment has been lost or carried. Where an amendment is carried it becomes the substantive motion.
No representative can move or second more than one amendment to any motion.
The Chairperson may order a complicated motion or amendment to be divided.
If an amendment is proposed that clarifies or strengthens the effect or intent of a motion, the Chairperson can, with the approval of the motion's original mover and seconder, deem it to be a friendly amendment.
Where the Chairperson deems an amendment to be friendly, it proceeds as the substantive motion, without the need for a vote. However, any representative can challenge the Chairperson's ruling, and request that the amendment proceeds as a normal amendment.
Withdrawing motions and amendments
Any move to withdraw a motion or amendment must come from the original mover. Withdrawal requires the majority consent of the registered representatives at the meeting.
Speaking to motions and amendments
Any representative who wants to speak during a meeting must stand and address the Chairperson. The representative can only speak when called on to by the Chairperson and must give their name and Branch.
The mover of a motion has a right to reply but loses that right by speaking to an amendment. The seconder of a motion may reserve the right to speak later.
The mover of an amendment has no right of reply. The seconder of an amendment may not reserve the right to speak later.
No representative can speak more than once to a resolution, except to:
- ask a question
- reply to a question
- explain a point
- reply to a misrepresentation.
In these circumstances, the representative may speak only when called on by the Chairperson.
Debate may be interrupted by:
- a point of order
- expiry of the time allocated to the debate
- a motion that the question be put
- a motion to proceed to the next business.
No representative can interrupt a speech, except to make a point of order.
The Chairperson can call any representative to order for irrelevance, repetition, unbecoming language or other breach of order, and may direct such representative to stop speaking.
Motions to Proceed
At the end of any speech, a representative who has not already spoken on the motion can move: "That the question be put to a vote". If the Chairperson accepts the motion to put the question to the vote, and it is seconded and carried, the original motion shall be put to the vote straight away, unless the original mover wants to exercise his or her right of reply.
When a motion of closure is made and carried during a discussion about an amendment, the closure applies only to the amendment and not the original motion.
At the end of any speech, a representative who has not already spoken on the motion can move: "That the Institute proceed to the next business". If this motion is seconded and carried, the Chairperson will proceed to the next item of business.
When a question is put to the vote, it will be decided by a simple majority, with the vote cast by representatives voicing their support or opposition to the motion, unless these rules require otherwise.
The Chairperson will rule on the voices, unless a show of hands, a count of all votes cast by a show of hands, or a division is called for. The Chairperson's decision is final in all these circumstances, except where there is a division.
Divisions
The procedure where a division is called for is as follows:
- it will be preceded by a count of all votes cast by a show of hands
- if the show of hands shows a clear majority either way, the Chairperson will rule that a division is not necessary
- if the show of hands shows no clear majority, then the division will proceed and every registered representative present at the meeting must record a vote
- the National Secretary will record the votes in a register, in alphabetical order for all representatives
- the result of the division will be shown in the minutes for the session
- the Chairperson will have a deliberative vote, and in cases where the votes are equal, will also have a casting vote.
Suspension of a representative
The Chairperson can suspend a representative for persistently disregarding the Chairperson's authority. When this happens, the Chairperson will state the length of the suspension and the representative will not have access to the meeting during that time.
Institute in committee
The Institute can, by unanimous decision during a meeting, resolve into a committee of the whole. When the Institute is in a committee of the whole, the standing orders about seconding motions and restrictions on speaking do not apply.
Suspension and breach of standing orders
Any standing order can be suspended by a unanimous decision during a meeting.
Where any representative considers that a Chairperson's ruling on a particular matter breaches these standing orders, the representative can raise a point of order by stating: "I challenge that ruling". The following procedures then apply:
- the Chairperson will ask the representative their reasons for disagreeing with the ruling
- the Chairperson will state the reasons for the ruling
- the Chairperson will put the motion: "That the ruling be accepted"
- if the vote is carried, the business of the meeting will proceed
- if the vote is lost, the Chairperson will withdraw the ruling and issue a new one.
The Chairperson will rule on any matters of order or procedure that are not provided for in these standing orders or rules.