Commonwealth Numbered Acts

ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR INTER-GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AMENDMENT ACT 1981 No. 7 of 1981 - SECT 9

9. Section 12 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section
substituted: Acting Chairman

"12. (1) The Council may, by resolution, appoint a member, being one of the
members referred to in paragraph 8 (2) (k), to act as Chairman of the Council-

   (a)  during a vacancy in the office of Chairman; or

   (b)  during any period, or during all periods, when the Chairman is absent
        from duty or from Australia or is, for any other reason, unable to
        perform the functions of his office, but a member appointed to act
        during a vacancy shall not continue so to act for more than 6 months.



"(2) An appointment of a member under sub-section (1) may be expressed to have
effect only in such circumstances as are specified in the resolution.



"(3) The Council may, by resolution, terminate the appointment of a member to
act as Chairman.



"(4) Where a member is acting as Chairman in accordance with paragraph (1) (b)
and the office of Chairman becomes vacant while that member is so acting,
then, subject to sub-section (2), that member may continue so to act until the
Council, by resolution, otherwise directs, the vacancy is filled or a period
of 6 months from the date on which the vacancy occurred expires, whichever
first happens.



"(5) The appointment of a person to act as Chairman ceases to have effect if
he ceases to be one of the members referred to in paragraph 8 (2) (k) or he
resigns his appointment by writing signed by him and delivered to the Prime
Minister.



"(6) While a member is acting as Chairman, he has and may exercise all the
powers, and shall perform all the functions, of the Chairman under this Act or
any other law.



"(7) The validity of anything done by a member purporting to act under
sub-section (1) shall not be called in question on the ground that the
occasion for his appointment had not arisen, that there is a defect or
irregularity in or in connection with his appointment, that the appointment
had ceased to have effect or that the occasion for him to act had not arisen
or had ceased.".