JOINT CONGRESS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Governance, Command and Order

JOINT CONGRESS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Seat: Hall of Justice, St Helena- Adenport, Roseport

Parliamentary service: Administration of the General Assembly

Structure: Joint conference of the members from the two (2) chambers in the General Assembly allocated for private members debate on various of political topics and issues

Chief: Deputy John L. Curtts, President pro tempore of the Chamber of Deputies

Membership: All State Deputies and Senators of the Nation

The Joint Congress of the General Assembly is an joint conference of the General Assembly: consisting of all State Deputies and Senators of the Nation. The Joint Congress were instituted in 1974 by an proposal from then Chairman of the People's Government Eelia Michaelsen. In both chambers of the General Assembly, almost every debate  ''at the floor'' concerns proposed final bills, resolutions, agreements, confirmations, appropriations or propositions. In the Chamber of Deputies, Conseils is also arranged for the purpose of scrutixzing the Executive and holding Councilors of State to account. In the Senate, Estimates fills the same function. Back in 1974, a new generation State Deputies and Senators were elected who criticized the lack of opportunity of political debates on subjects which the private members choose, not the party leaderships of Presidencies of each Chamber.

Chairman Michaelsen did not want to undermine the authorities of the party leaderships neither the chamber presidencies. Instead, she instituted an ''simple and un-complicated Committee of the General Assembly'' open for debates on subjects which the private members asked for. The intention was merely to institute and permanent organ of the General Assembly, rather an attempt of responding to the overwhelming critic from the new members. Actually, the Government expected the Congress to ''self-die'' by lack of business after the first couple of months. Instead, the Congress were used frequently and became a tool of extra scrutiny and discussions on bills, motions and propositions but also for general, political debate were both Senators and State Deputies could participate.

In 1983, the Government therefor begun to organize the business more properly, allocating parliamentary funding for personnel and administration. Since then, the Congress has been an important tool in the legislative process of the General Assembly. 

HOW DOES THE CONGRESS WORK:

Formally, the Joint Congress of the General Assembly is a legislative-political committee of the General Assembly. Officially, the the Congress it's supervised under the Presidium of the General Assembly but practically and politically it's managed by the party leaderships- and the presidencies of each respective Chamber. 

The Congress sits between five (5) and seven (7) hours every weekday of the session by the General Assembly. All members of the General Assembly, both State Deputies and Senators are members of the Joint Congress and can participate in the debates. Councilors of State could at invitation also take part in the debates but is not accountable to the judicial rules and obligations as in formal hearings of the Chamber or the Senate.

LEADERSHIP OF THE CONGRESS

When the Congress were created, almost no administrative service or coordinating functions existed. Since the development of the Congress as an important tool in the legislative process, the organizational structure of governance has also developed. The Congress is governed by two (2) branches: the executive branch responsible for the coordination with Government policies and proposals - and the members branch responsible for the care taking of the interests, needs and ideas from the Party Caucuses, State Deputies and Senators of the Nation.

The agenda and subjects of debate in the Joint Congress is formally decided by the Congress Majority Leader: who is the Political Leader of the governing party (or the largest governing party). The Congress Majority Leader is also the formal spokesperson, representative and chief executive of the Joint Congress. Together with the Steering Committee of the Joint Congress . The Steering Committee is made up by fourteen (14) members (either State Deputies and Senators) and the Council Majority Leader. 

By tradition, the Political Leaders of each party who has representation in either of the two (2) chambers in the General Assembly is represented in the Steering Committee and works as the Manager of Party Business in as well the Steering Committee as the Joint Congress as a whole.

The Congress hasn't a standing speakership position, instead the function of presiding officer is given to junior State Deputies or Senators being tabled at the a panel supervised by the President pro tempore of the Chamber of Deputies. The Deputy Presidents of the Chamber- respectively the Senate is standing members of the panel and is permitted in allocation of sessions of importance. 

BUSINESS OF THE CONGRESS

Every State Deputy and Senator of the Nation has the right to table issues to debate. That is done through a Draft of Debate and is issued to the Congress Majority Leader. Drafts tabled by at least one member of each Chamber (as for example one State Deputy and one Senator) has primary precedence. Drafts tabled with at least two (2) members regardless of Chamber has secondary precedence. Drafts tabled with just one (1) signature has common precedence. 

The annual Wiepal Convention (an famous charity ball for State Deputies, Senators, Councilors of State, Officers of the General Assembly and their spouses, arranged in the name of David Wiepal, the first Chief Executive of the Administration of the General Assembly) is also officially arranged in the name and expenditures of the Congress. The gainings is up to the Congress to allocate and is usually an charitable purpose or humanitarian aid in foreign conflicts or war.

POWERS AND PROCEDURES OF THE CONGRESS

The Joint Congress does not have the power to initiate- or vote on bills, resolutions, statements or propositions and is a subordinate body who's all decision must be confirmed in either the Chamber, the Senate or their Committees in a whole. However the Joint Congress has the delegated authority of the debate, scrutiny and process between the initation- and the decision on different matters. 

For example, the Joint Congress could do amendments, secessions, call for a second remittance, add indiciative- and interpretational directions - but all formal decisions needs to be confirmed by the responsible chamber in the General Assembly. 

SESSIONS OF THE JOINT CONGRESS

The Joint Congress convenes in the Hall of Justice Commons State Building (12th Bourbon Magazine) of the Hall of Justice Complex. It has three (3) chamber at disposal for it's business, the Commons State Atrium which is the major chamber of the Congress for it's business at whole, the Marquéz Dining Room which is alternative, markedly smaller chamber of debate and the Maryibyrnong Hall - the meeting room for the Steering Committee and the representational chamber of the Congress. 

The Commons State Atrium, which is the largest hall has however only 350 seats. When the Congress arranges business with more members participating than that, the Congress convenes in the Emperor's Breakfast Hall with 600 standing seats and up to 1000 possible seats. The EBH, as it's usually called is also the recipient hall for foreign visits, speeches from invited heads- of state or government, lectures and others.