Referendum on 90-Day Ban on New Laws After Significant Events

NSW Referendum on 90-Day Ban on New Laws After Significant Events

Constitution (Parliamentary Cooling-Off Period-Referendum) Bill 2026

Private Member's Bill

4 Feb 2026: MPs in the first house are debating whether this bill is a good idea in principle.

Legislative Council

Legislative Assembly

Assent

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Topics

constitutional reform general elections parliamentary process referendum voting

Introduced by: John Ruddick MLC (LIBT)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

a referendum will be held at the next NSW state general election asking voters to approve adding a 90-day parliamentary cooling-off period to the NSW Constitution

the constitutional change — which would ban Parliament from legislating on topics related to traumatic public events for 90 days — can only take effect if a majority of voters approve it in the referendum

News articles and press releases

Second Reading Speech, Constitution (Parliamentary Cooling-Off Period-Referendum) Bill 2026

The Hon. JOHN RUDDICK — 2026-02-04

Today I introduce the Constitution Amendment (Parliamentary Cooling-Off Period) Bill 2026 and the Constitution (Parliamentary Cooling-Off Period—Referendum) Bill 2026. This is not a radical proposal. The Westminster system has in-built checks and balances designed to cool the passions of the day. These bills present a modest, principled safeguard designed to protect the people of New South Wales from the very real dangers of impulsive, emotion-charged lawmaking that so frequently follows tragedies, shocks or waves of public panic. The core of the amendment bill is simple. It inserts a new provision into the Constitution of New South Wales requiring a mandatory 90‑day legislative cooling‑off period after a "significant event". During those 90 days, no bill may be introduced, debated or enacted and no regulations made if the legislation relates directly to the event.