Members are required to attend the House of Assembly when it is sitting. By January 31 of each year, Members must file with the Clerk a declaration under oath or affirmation of their attendance while the House was sitting in the previous calendar year. The declaration must include dates of absence(s), and provide an explanation for the absences.

The following are acceptable reasons* for Members to be absent from the House:

• personal illness;
• adoption, pregnancy or parental leave;
• serious illness of a family member;
• bereavement;
• House of Assembly Committee meeting/Management Commission meeting;
• duties as caucus member (within House of Assembly precincts);
• ministerial duties;
• constituency business (within the House of Assembly precincts);
• constituency business within the constituency (with prior approval of the Speaker);
• other circumstances (with approval of the Speaker).

* Note that the Premier, the Leader of the Official Opposition and the Leader of a Third Party are not subject to the same restrictions with respect to absences from the House given the nature of their responsibilities.

If a Member files a declaration disclosing an absence for reasons other than those above, an amount of $200 will be deducted from the Member's salary for each day of the absence. If a Member does not file the declaration by the required filing date, the Clerk may withhold the Member’s salary.

As required by the Publication Scheme, a report summarizing Members' declarations of attendance must be posted on an annual basis.