The Parliament consists of two Houses (the Senate and the House of Representatives), and the King, represented in Australia by the Governor General. In 1901 the Australian Constitution established the ...

The normal flow of the legislative process is that a bill (a draft Act, or, in the terminology of the Constitution, a proposed law) is introduced into one House of Parliament, passed by that House and ...

About half of the total sitting time of the House is spent considering bills, that is, proposed laws. These range from comparatively minor proposals of an administrative nature to comprehensive ...

When the House is debating legislation or scrutinising government activities, various phrases are used, sometimes in a shorthand way. The concepts they refer to, which describe aspects of Australia’s ...

The office of Speaker is an essential feature of the parliamentary system, and of all the Westminster parliamentary traditions the Speakership has proved to be among the most durable. The office is an ...

The select committee concluded its inquiry when it tabled its report on 16/06/08.

A parliamentary committee is a sub-group of the Parliament that does inquiry and oversight work on behalf of the Parliament. It contains Members of the House of Representatives and/or Senators.

The accountability of the Government is demonstrated most clearly and publicly at Question Time when, for a period (usually well over an hour) on each sitting day, questions without notice are put to ...

4.22The Committee recommends the Australian Government investigate the potential benefits of a tax offset for the live music industry. The Treasury, the Office of the Arts and Creative Australia ...

Each government portfolio is allocated to a committee for the consideration of estimates, and each year the Senate adopts a schedule for the following year's estimates hearings. Additionally, cross ...

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties has been appointed by the Commonwealth Parliament to review and report on all treaty actions proposed by the Government before action which binds Australia to ...

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committees cover the following portfolios: Attorney-General and Home Affairs.