AUSTRALIA COUNCIL ACT 1975 No. 11 of 1975 - SECT 15 Acting Chairman.

AUSTRALIA COUNCIL ACT 1975 No. 11 of 1975 - SECT 15

15. (1) The Minister may appoint a person to act as Chairman of the Council-

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

   (b)  during any period, or during all periods, when the Chairman is absent
        from duty or from Australia or, for any reason, unable to perform the
        functions of his office, but a person appointed to act during a
        vacancy shall not continue so to act for more than 12 months.

(2) The Minister may-

   (a)  determine the terms and conditions of appointment, including
        remuneration and allowances, of an Acting Chairman; and

   (b)  at any time terminate such an appointment.

(3) Where a person is acting as Chairman in accordance with paragraph (1) (b)
and the office of Chairman becomes vacant while that person is so acting, that
person may continue so to act until the Minister 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 an Acting Chairman ceases to have effect if he resigns
the appointment by writing signed by him and delivered to the Minister.

(5) While the appointment of an Acting Chairman remains in force, he has, and
may exercise, all the powers and shall perform all the functions of the
Chairman.

(6) At any time when a person who is not a member of the Council is acting as
Chairman, he shall be deemed to be a member of the Council for the purposes of
sub-sections 17 (4) and (7) and section 19.

(7) The validity of anything done by an Acting Chairman shall not be called in
question on the grounds that the occasion for his appointment had not arisen
or that the appointment had ceased to have effect.