On 24 July 1984 the Governor appointed Emeritus Professor E.J. Edwards to be a Royal Commissioner to inquire into Parliamentary deadlocks with the following terms of reference:

(a) should the laws of this state prescribe a means of overcoming or resolving deadlocks or disagreements between the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council in relation to proposed legislation?; and

(b) If so, what method or methods for overcoming or resolving such deadlocks or disagreements should be prescribed?

In his report dated 9 February 1985 the Commissioner replied in the affirmative to (a).

With regard to the questions posed by (b) he recommended the following:

• Deadlocks over supply bills be resolved by suspensory veto "along the lines of Section 5A of the Constitution Act of New South Wales".

• Deadlocks over other bills be resolved by "a method based on Section 57 of the Commonwealth Constitution".

The Commission received 33 written submissions, and heard twenty one witnesses at the public hearings.

Staff assisting the Commissioner were:

Dr J.A. Thomson, Counsel Assisting;

Mr R. Wahl, Executive Officer;

Ms V. Moon, Secretary; and

Mr D. Hyams, Research Officer.