WITH the fifth meeting of the Tenth Parliament adjourned Sine Die, this Parliament has left a record number of papers and reports and questions.

Adjournment Sine Die comes from the Latin translation “without day,” meaning “without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing.”

A legislative body adjourns Sine Die when it adjourns without appointing a day on which to appear or assemble again.

The Fifth Meeting commenced on November 1, 2016 and adjourned Sine Die on April 10, 2016, a total sitting of 46 days.

Nine Bills were debated and passed and they are;

• The Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill 2016;
• The Land Surveyors Bill 2016;
• The Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016;
• The Child and Family Welfare Bill 2016;
• The Pacific Games 2023 Bill 2016;
• The Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority Bill 2016;
• The Wildlife Protection and Management (Amendment) Bill 2016;
• The 2016 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2017; and
• The 2017 Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2017.

Three Bills that are still before the House are;

• The Whistle blowers Protection Bill 2016;
• The Anti-Corruption Bill 2016; and
• The Ombudsman Bill 2016.

Two private members Bills were also debated and passed in the Fifth Meeting.

One of the two private members Bills was to create a Formula for fair allocation of CDF and was moved by the Leader of the Independent Group Hon Dr Derek Sikua.

“Parliament resolves that the Government considers introducing a Formula that reflects a fair allocation of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to each of the 50 Constituencies in Solomon Islands commencing in 2018 based on population, remoteness, hardship and other factors.”

The other was moved by the Member of Parliament for Aoke/Langalanga and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) Hon Mathew Wale to hold an Inquiry into the proposed amendment to the preamble of the Constitution.

“That Parliament resolves to direct the Constitution Review Committee to inquire into an Amendment to the Preamble of the Constitution which will have the effect of declaring that Solomon Islands is a Christian Country.”

The Prime Minister Hon Manasseh Sogavare told Parliament in his Sine Die Speech that this now adjourned meeting has set a record number of papers, reports and questions.

71 questions and 26 papers and reports were tabled in the Tenth Parliament’s fifth meeting.