I think it is not only desirable, but necessary for MPs to be physically proximate in order to do their job properly. That job involves more than participating in debates in the chamber or voting on legislation.
On 25/8/20 9:01 am, Tom Worthington wrote:
The Australian Parliament's first hybrid sitting went okay. I suggest it be made permanent and online voting be implemented. In the last few months the barriers which were thought to exist to stop online working were overcome. There are teachers, judges, lawyers, doctors, physiologists and other professionals helping their clients online every day. In some cases Parliaments had to make minor changes to the law to facilitate this, but mostly there was no law preventing online working, just some administrative procedures. There is no law preventing the Parliament meeting online, just a lack of will to do it. It is time for MPs and Senators to follow the example of tens of thousands of other Australians and make the minor changes to their routine to work online. This will have benefits for the nation beyond the current COVID-19 emergency. During my term as President of the Australian Computer Society I chaired the first meeting of the ACS national council by video conference. Even among computer professionals there was some reluctance to do this, but it worked fine. At the end of my term in 1997 I suggested electronic sittings of Parliament with members in their electorate offices: https://www.tomw.net.au/twcl97c.htm#parliment
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