Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL ACT 1918 - SECT 13

             (1)  The Governor‑General may appoint a person to act as Chairperson:

                     (a)  during a vacancy in the office of Chairperson, whether or not an appointment has previously been made to the office; or

                     (b)  during any period, or during all periods, when the Chairperson is absent from duty or from Australia or is, for any other reason, unable to perform the functions of the office;

but a person appointed to act during a vacancy shall not continue so to act for more than 12 months.

             (2)  The Governor‑General may at any time terminate an appointment made under subsection (1).

             (3)  Where a person is acting as Chairperson in accordance with paragraph (1)(b) and the office of Chairperson becomes vacant while that person is so acting, that person may continue so to act until the Governor‑General otherwise directs, the vacancy is filled or a period of 12 months from the date on which the vacancy occurred expires, whichever first happens.

             (4)  The appointment of a person to act as Chairperson ceases to have effect if the person delivers to the Governor‑General a signed notice of resignation.

             (5)  A person acting as Chairperson has, and may exercise, all the powers and shall perform all the functions of the Chairperson.

             (6)  The validity of anything done by or in relation to a person purporting to act under subsection (1) shall not be called in question on the ground that the occasion for the appointment had not arisen, that there is a defect or irregularity in or in connection with the appointment, that the appointment had ceased to have effect or that the occasion for the person to act had not arisen or had passed.