NSW MPs will be required to log into parliament remotely amid an emergency in a historic first for Australia.
Pushed by the Greens David Shoebridge on his last day in the upper house, the bill to ensure virtual attendance of MPs is the first non-government legislation to pass the NSW parliament during Dominic Perrottet's tenure.
Mr Shoebridge said the Greens' constitutional amendment was designed "to keep democracy working (and) to keep parliament working even in the face of a future health or environmental crisis".
Parliament was shutdown on 26 June last year with the spike in COVID-19 cases, and earlier in 2020 amid global coronavirus lockdowns.
While NSW parliament has conducted committee hearings virtually, the Greens bill now makes sure votes can be taken online.
The bill defines a "public emergency" as "a public health crisis, natural disaster, major accident, civil disturbance or act of terrorism".
"Today we amended the constitution that said the next time we have a crisis, democracy can't die," he told reporters on Thursday.
He accused the government of being arrogant by trying to stifle the landmark bill, first introduced in October last year.
"This government wants to keep us stuck in the 1600s," he said.
Fellow Greens MP Jamie Parker said international and domestic bodies worked amid the height of the pandemic in virtual settings and that it was time NSW followed suit.
"If it's good enough for the G7, good enough for the UN and even our courts, it's good enough for our parliament to make sure during crises it can function," he told reporters.
