Schedule 9: Model Constitution for a Statutory Council
9. Chairperson and deputy chairperson

 

  1.  

    1. At the annual general meeting, the council must elect a chairperson and deputy chairperson.

    2. Subject to sub-clauses (3) and (6)(a), the serving chairperson of the council at the time of the annual general meeting will be the chairperson of the meeting and preside over the election of the next chairperson.

  2. The chairperson of the meeting must call for nominations for the office of chairperson. A person will have been nominated if proposed by one and seconded by another representative in the council.

  1. If the serving chairperson is nominated for another term, the council, by a show of hands, must elect a representative in the council to act as chairperson of the meeting during the election of the next chairperson.

  1.  

    1. If only one candidate is nominated, the candidate will be deemed to have been elected the new chairperson unopposed, and must be declared by the chairperson of the meeting to have been so elected.

    2. If two or more candidates are nominated, the chairperson of the meeting must conduct a vote by ballot, and must declare the candidate in whose favour the majority of the votes have been cast, to have been elected the new chairperson.

  2. If an equal number of votes are cast for two or more candidates, and no other candidate has drawn a higher number of votes than those candidates, the chairperson of the meeting will cause to be determined by lot which one of those candidates is to become the new chairperson.

  1.  

    1. Upon having been declared elected, the new chairperson must preside over the meeting and must call for nominations for the office of deputy chairperson.

    2. If the newly-elected chairperson is an employer representative, only employee representatives may be nominated for deputy chairperson, and vice-versa.

    3. The provisions of sub-clauses (2), (4) and (5), read with the changes required by the context, apply to the election of the deputy chairperson.

  2.  

    1. The chairperson and deputy chairperson hold their respective offices until the next election of the chairperson or deputy chairperson (as the case may be) takes place, or, if the chairperson or deputy chairperson ceases to be a representative in the council on any date before that election, until that date. Each of them will be eligible for re-election if still a representative when their respective terms as chairperson and deputy chairperson expire.

    2. If the office of chairperson or deputy chairperson becomes vacant before the next election of the chairperson or deputy chairperson (as the case may be) the executive committee must elect a person as chairperson or deputy chairperson (as the case may be) to hold office until that next election.

    3. An election contemplated in paragraph (b) must be held in accordance with sub-clauses (2), (4), (5) and (6), read with the changes required by the context.

  3. The chairperson must preside over the meetings of the council, and must

    1. sign the minutes of council meetings after those minutes have been confirmed;

    2. sign cheques drawn on the council's bank account; and

    3. perform any other functions and duties entrusted to the chairperson by this constitution as well as those that are generally associated with the office of a chairperson.

  4. The deputy-chairperson must preside over meetings of the council and perform the functions and duties of the chairperson whenever the chairperson is absent or for any reason unable to act or to perform those functions and duties.

  1. If both the chairperson and deputy chairperson are absent or unable to act or to perform the functions and duties of the chairperson, the council, by a show of hands, must elect from the representatives a person to act as chairperson and to perform those functions and duties.

  1. A chairperson or a deputy chairperson who has not been elected from amongst the representatives in the council is not entitled to vote on any matter before the council or the executive committee.

  1. A chairperson or a deputy chairperson may be removed from office by the council for serious neglect of duty, serious misconduct or due to incapacity.