[Not in current Constitution]

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The Deputy Governor-General:
(i) Shall be appointed for a term which expires no later than six months after the earliest polling day determined by the States for the next Senate election, whether that be an election for the whole Senate or half the Senate; and
(ii) May be removed prior to the expiry of that term;
by a resolution passed by two-thirds of the members of the Senate who vote on the resolution.

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The Deputy Governor-General:
(i) Shall be appointed for a term which expires no later than six months after the earliest polling day determined by the States for the next Senate election, whether that be an election for the whole Senate or half the Senate; and
(ii) May be removed prior to the expiry of that term;
by a resolution passed by two-thirds of the members of the Senate who vote on the resolution.

59B.1 This new provision for the appointment and dismissal of the Deputy Governor-General is virtually identical to that for the Governor-General of Parliament, so the Notes to s.58B apply to this clause as well.

59B.2 The only difference is that whereas for House of Representatives' elections the Commonwealth sets one polling day, for the Senate s.9 of the Constitution gives the power to determine the dates of Senate elections to the States. Conceivably they may choose different days, or refuse to hold the elections, as was threatened in 1975 by conservative States who were attempting to thwart Mr Whitlam's plan for a half Senate election. As the six month period needs to date from a definite date, the earliest polling day selected by a State will set the period from which the six month period will date.