Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated ActsIf, after either House of the Parliament has been dissolved, or the House of Representatives has expired, the person, if any, who was the Presiding Officer of that House immediately before the dissolution or expiry dies, is absent from the Commonwealth or is incapable by reason of illness of exercising any powers or functions under a law of the Commonwealth, the person who last held office as Deputy Presiding Officer of that House shall, for the purposes of the exercise of any powers or functions by the Presiding Officer of that House under a law of the Commonwealth, be deemed to be the Presiding Officer of that House until a Presiding Officer is chosen by that House or the absence or incapacity terminates, as the case may be.