26Acting Speaker—appointment by Administrator

#### 26 Acting Speaker—appointment by Administrator (1) Where: (a) the office of Speaker has become vacant and the Legislative Assembly has not chosen another Speaker to fill the vacancy; (b) the Speaker is absent or is unable, for any reason, to exercise the powers or perform the functions of the Speaker and the Legislative Assembly has not appointed a person under subsection 25(1); (c) the appointment of a person under subsection 25(1) has ceased to be in force, otherwise than by reason of the absence or inability of the Speaker ceasing, and the Legislative Assembly has not appointed another member under that subsection; or (d) a person appointed under subsection 25(1) is absent or is unable, for any reason, to exercise the powers or perform the functions of the Speaker and the Legislative Assembly has not appointed another person under that subsection; the Administrator may, by instrument in writing, appoint a member of the Legislative Assembly to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Speaker. (2) A reference in this Act or in any other law in force in the Territory to the Speaker shall be read as including a reference to a person appointed under subsection (1). (3) An appointment under subsection (1) remains in force until: (a) the next meeting of the Legislative Assembly is held; (b) the Administrator, by instrument in writing, revokes the appointment; (c) the person appointed resigns his or her appointment by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the Administrator; (d) the person appointed ceases to be a member of the Legislative Assembly otherwise than by reason of the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly; (e) in the case of the absence or inability of the Speaker—that absence or inability ceases; or (f) in the case of the absence or inability of a person appointed under subsection 25(1)—that absence or inability ceases or, if the absence or inability of the Speaker ceases before the absence or inability of that person ceases, the absence or inability of the Speaker ceases; whichever first happens.