A number of Aussies are pissed off about Australia’s parliament being suspended for more than two weeks in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II‘s death.
Parliament was set to return next week and then break until October’s budget sitting. Now next week’s sittings have all been cancelled — pretty yikes.
PM Anthony Albanese told ABC Radio that these were protocols had been “in place for some time”.
As we know, there’s Operation Unicorn, a series of strict plans put in place for when the Queen died. As well as the parliamentary suspension, flags will fly at half-mast across Australia until the day after the Queen’s funeral and there was a series of 96 gun salutes outside Parliament House on Friday.
Australia isn’t the only country that has had to suspend its parliament. In fact, the protocols are actually from Buckingham Palace itself which is frankly, wild.
And in a pretty huge discrepancy the UK will only suspend its parliament for 10 days. Honestly, make it make sense.
Parliament is suspended for 15 days as part of a long held plan set out by the Palace – it is happening across the Commonwealth. https://t.co/rj6E1jZfg2
— Amy Remeikis (@AmyRemeikis) September 8, 2022
According to Professor of Constitutional Law Anne Tworney, Australia suspending parliament for 15 days isn’t specifically a legal requirement.
“It is a matter of choice and a sign of respect,” she wrote in The Conversation.
The fact Federal Parliament is being suspended for more than two weeks has been resoundingly slammed online.
As a lot of people have pointed out: it seems pretty unfair that politicians are getting paid time off when the rest of the country isn’t, even if that is the formal protocol.
There have also calls for things like mutual obligations to be suspended due to the suspension. I mean, fair’s fair.
If parliament is suspended for at least 15 days, meaning next week’s sitting is cancelled, then it’s only fair that the rest of the nation gets that time off too, and paid.
— Shane Bazzi (@shanebazzi) September 8, 2022
15 days is ridiculous. https://t.co/yyHvVUZ3ZO
— Professor Dr Megan Davis (@mdavisqlder) September 8, 2022
Today our Australian parliament commences 15 days of mourning and events to show respect for the passing of the Queen of England.
The working-class have to apply for up to 2 days bereavement leave if our parents pass away to get our affairs in order.
— Steve Murphy ✊ (@Murphy_Steve) September 9, 2022
15 day parliament suspension for the death of QEII, as an Aboriginal woman she’s not my Queen but it just feels so wrong for a modern Democracy.
We have cost of living pressures, a third La Niña to hit & our health workers are in crisis.
Parliament should sit next week
— Larissa Baldwin-Roberts (@Riss_Bundjalung) September 9, 2022
I’m trusting all JobSeeker mutual obligations will be suspended for 15 days as a mark of respect for our late Queen @AlboMP
— Anthony O’Donnell (@AnthonyODonne13) September 9, 2022
Devastating news for the folks desperately waiting to get off the Cashless Debit Card. https://t.co/S0MNEt3D3O
— kristin (she/her) (@kristin8X) September 8, 2022
Anthony Albanese defended the parliamentary shutdown on ABC Radio, after he was asked about criticisms of it being “excessive”.
“It’s out of respect for Queen Elizabeth,” he said.
“It is procedure that parliament is not returned during the period of morning.”
He then said that the government will “continue to function” even while parliament isn’t sitting.
Albanese and Governor General David Hurley will be travelling to London next week to meet with King Charles III. They’ll also attend the Queen’s funeral which will take place 10 days after her death, according to The Guardian.
Australia doesn’t have an official mourning period for the Queen’s death. But it’s likely there will be a national day of commemoration which could be a public holiday, per News.com.au.
Until that’s formally announced though, it looks like only politicians will be getting any time off.