Armed Forces Bill
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| Long title | A Bill to Regulate Membership in the Armed Forces Among Members of Parliament |
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| Introduced by |
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| Dates | |
| Laid before Parliament |
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Status: Not passed | |
The Armed Forces Bill (Bill C6101, Bill L622) is a bill introduced in the House of Commons of Baustralia, by Sir Charles Burgardt, the last day in his tenure as Prime Minister. It failed with a majority of nays. Its second draft was introduced by the Duke of Northumbria as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence. It failed with one nay past majority. The third reading never took place by the end of the session.
Background
1st reading
In the Burgardt ministry's legislative agenda for December, two bills remained as the Stonian by-election started. The Prime Minister submitted the Acts of Parliament the day before the election, with the first bill receiving royal assent regarding a transition to absolute primogeniture, and the second being the Armed Forces Bill.
The Armed Forces Bill pushes Members of Parliament also serving with the Baustralian Armed Forces to serve in a reserve component and not in the regular force. MPs who later leave the Parliament must apply to serve in the regular force once again. With a high ratio of MPs concurrently serving in the Forces, and many flag and general officers also being MPs, the bill proved very unpopular.
2nd reading
The second reading proposed creating an education branch of the forces to allow MPs to teach their skills, and as such take an active role, or join the reserves as for any other branch under the same conditions as the first reading. It was introduced the evening of 7 January 2023. Throughout the next day, it remained a close ballot, with oppositions gaining lead by one vote. It failed by one vote, by Liberal MP Arthur van der Bruyn, the only Liberal to vote against the bill.
Votes
| First reading | Second reading | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aye | Nay | Abstain | Aye | Nay | Abstain |
| Sir Charles Burgardt | Rory Leonard | Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia | Anna Calero | Manggala Setya | Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia |
| Carson Snyder | Oliver Doig | Anna Calero | Soren FitzGibbons | Rory Leonard | |
| Ian Douglas Smith II | Thomas Jacobs | Carson Snyder | Sir Oliver Doig | ||
| Logan Perry-Ardens | Soren FitzGibbons | Logan Perry-Ardens | Brianna Broersma | ||
| Oliver Doig | Sir Charles Burgardt | Thomas Jacobs | |||
| William Perks | Matthew Hughes | Sir James Gardner | |||
| Majority of 6 required. | William Perks | ||||
| Arthur van der Bruyn | |||||
Aftermath
If passed, 18 of 21 members of Parliament would be affected in some way. The following are the effects:
| The following members will switch to reserve components but will keep their posts. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adm of the F Lord John Timpson | Royal Household | First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp |
| Adm Sir Nick Sullivan | Royal Household | Great Officer of State |
| Gen Sir Greg Watts | Royal Household | Great Officer of State |
| VAdm Sir Oliver Doig | Royal Household | Great Officer of State |
| The following members will switch to reserve components and will lose their posts. | ||
| Cdre Sir James Gardner | Baustralia Squadron | Flag Officer-in-Command |
| Cdre Brianna Broersma | Naval Regulating Branch | Provost Marshal (HRN) |
| Brig Carson Snyder | Military Police Branch | Provost Marshal (Army) |
| S/Capt Logan Perry-Ardens | Medical Branch | Deputy Surgeon General |
| Cdr Lady Ella Parker | Administrative Corps | Purser of the Navy |
| LtCol Ava Calero | Royal Baustralian Regiment | Deputy Commanding Officer |
| Capt William Perks | Royal Baustralian Regiment | 1 Platoon Commander |
| Capt Rory Leonard | Baustralian Dragoons | 1 Platoon Commander |
| Capt Soren FitzGibbons | Baustralian Dragoons | Quartermaster |
| Capt Manggala Setya | Parker Regiment | Quartermaster |
| CPO(Reg) Arthur van der Bruyn | HMS Promise | Master-at-Arms |
| The following members have no post but must change unit affiliations. | ||
| L/Cpl Arthur Lacey-Scott-FitzLacia | Baustralian Dragoons | |
| OS Matthew Hughes | HMS Promise | |
| OS Thomas Jacobs | HMS Trent | |