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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>Fellow Council
Members,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=734373807-21092009>Background</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>one issue debated
but unresolved by the drafting team is the oddity in Council voting over
abstentions.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>To date an
abstention has counted as a vote against the motion because of the way the old
by-laws were written.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>I believe this is no
longer the case in the new by-laws and so the decision is up to us as Council as
to what we want to put in our internal rules (the operating
procedures).</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>The current draft
continues the old practise.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=734373807-21092009></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=734373807-21092009>Proposal</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=734373807-21092009>I would like to
propose an amendment to the draft op. procedures as follows:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><SPAN lang=EN-GB>
<P><FONT size=2 face=Arial>5.4<SPAN class=734373807-21092009>
</SPAN>"Abstentions will count towards the establishment of a quorum but do
not<SPAN class=734373807-21092009> </SPAN>count as votes cast." </FONT></P>
<P><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This will mean an
abstention is just that a decision to not vote. At present it is not the
case.(The ability to state why a member abstains remains).</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The only rationale for
the current situation is the the same rule applies for the Board. To my mind
there are reasons why a Board may have such a rule that are not relevant to a
policy development body such as Council.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Is everyone happy
to make this change ?</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><FONT size=2
face=Arial>Philip</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=734373807-21092009><FONT size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P></SPAN></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>