About the House in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Government organisation

About the House

Locality: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Address: Parliament Dr 2600 Canberra, ACT, Australia

Website: www.aph.gov.au/athnews

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25.01.2022 How do you view regional Australia? Would you ever escape to the country? Take this short survey to help the Regional Australia Committee and the Federal Parliament.

24.01.2022 The AEC have today made an announcement on redistributions that will have implications on the makeup of the House after the next federal election. The determination would see the Northern Territory lose its second House of Representatives division. In June, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy introduced a bill that would permanently grant the Territory a second electoral division. This bill is currently being reviewed by the Electoral Matters Committee, and you can have your say by making a submission before next Friday. To do that, visit aph.gov.au/em

24.01.2022 Resignation of Member and valedictory remarks When a Member resigns his or her seat in the House, he or she must do so by writing to the Speaker (or to the Governor-General if the Speaker is absent). The resignation takes effect and the Members seat becomes vacant from the time the letter of resignation is received by the Speaker or the Governor-General. Read the full article on our news page: www.aph.gov.au/athnews

23.01.2022 House Review sitting period 12 to 14 May 2020 On 29 April the Speaker notified Members, under Standing Order 30, that the House would sit on 12 May, with the House subsequently resolving to meet on 13 and 14 May as well. While the House met with a reduced number of Members to allow for social distancing, the normal routine of business was largely followed. The sittings featured several Ministerial statements and the introduction of a substantial number of bills, and the House agreed to a revised sitting schedule for the remainder of 2020. Full the full House Review: https://bit.ly/2XfPtUT

20.01.2022 On Monday, Members will return to Canberra for the final sitting fortnight of a very disrupted 2020. If you’re interested in following events in Parliament next week, bookmark Parlwork.aph.gov.au in your browser. From there, you can access the Daily Program and Live Minutes for the House, information about bills, and even details about the Senate’s sitting day!

20.01.2022 Dividing on opposition amendments All questions in the House are determined by a majority of votes. Questions may be determined on the voices, by division, or by a ballot. When determining a question by division, the Chair would normally say that the question before the House is that the amendment moved by the Member be agreed to. The Chair directs the Ayes to move to the right of the Chair and the Noes to the left. In the Chamber, government Members sit to the right of... the Chair and opposition Members to the left. This means that, for divisions on opposition amendments, Members will usually cross onto the other side of the Chamber to vote. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during recent sittings the procedure for divisions has been amended to reduce the movement of Members in the Chamber and ensure social distancing is maintained. Rather than putting the question that the amendment be agreed to, the Speaker has put the question that the amendment be disagreed to. This allows government Members, voting aye, to stay to the right of the Chair and opposition Members, voting no, to stay to the left. For second reading amendments, the Chair has put the question in the form That the words proposed to be omitted stand part of the question. This formulation (which had previously been used in the House) means that Members vote aye if they disagree with the amendment. As government Members opposed the amendments, this has avoided the need for most Members to swap sides when dividing on the question.

20.01.2022 How can Australia define and improve its sovereign manufacturing capability to ensure national resilience during unplanned events such as the global pandemic? This will be the focus of a Thursday hearing of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee.

20.01.2022 Member for Monash Russell Broadbent asks the second video question of yesterdays #QT.

19.01.2022 In the House this morning, Attorney-General Christian Porter will introduce the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020. Last year, we spoke to new Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson OAM MP - Fighting For Townsville, about his work in suicide prevention for former Defence Force members.

17.01.2022 Do you care as much about an issue as this bloke cares about boneless chicken wings? You can make a petition to the House of Representatives about an issue - ANY issue - that matters to you. Visit aph.gov.au/petitions to get started.

17.01.2022 A Committee Secretary might very well have the most variable job in our department theyre leaders, procedural experts, educators, and much, much more. If youve ever wanted to work in the Parliament, or want to take your Parliamentary career to the next level, apply now!

17.01.2022 Today in Parliament, a public hearing on homelessness in Australia will hear evidence from several charities. You can stream the hearing at aph.gov.au/live

16.01.2022 With the impact of COVID-19 still being felt around the country, executives from Australias four major banks will appear before the House Economics Committee in hearings over the next two Fridays to discuss their response to the pandemic. We joined Committee Chair Tim Wilson - Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein for a preview of the hearings.

16.01.2022 Its #FridayQuiz time again. Head over to our twitter account at 3.30pm AEST for your chance to win a House of Representatives pen. www.twitter.com/AbouttheHouse

16.01.2022 Today’s Daily Program includes something a bit different - a suspension of the sitting at 10am. This is to allow Members to observe Remembrance Day at 11am. For the curious, 11 November isn’t a common sitting date the House has only sat on this date six times in the past 30 years , and on only three of those occasions was the House due to sit in the morning. For the most recent in 2015, the House suspended as it will today, while on the other two occasions Members stood in silence in the Chamber at 11am.

15.01.2022 For the first time in our history, Members are able to participate in House debates via video link. Our colleagues at Auspic captured a test of this system late last week, featuring Damian Drum MP. In slightly lower resolution, we also have a shot of the moment Richard Marles MP became the first Member to make a contribution to the House via video link, when he asked a question to the Prime Minister during todays Question Time.

15.01.2022 Member for Corio Richard Marles asks the first video question in the history of the House of Representatives.

15.01.2022 Mr Geoffery Robertson OAM Queens Counsel and Ms Amal Clooney will be among the experts to appear before an inquiry on whether to impose sanctions upon individuals who commit human rights abuses. The public hearing will be held on Friday 15th May at Parliament House with witnesses appearing via videoconference. The Hon Kevin Andrews MP, Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, confirmed that interest in the... Inquiry is strong, with international human rights legal experts keen to provide evidence. The Sub-Committee looks forward to contributions from a number of pre-eminent human rights experts who are experienced with Magnitsky-style laws at the global level. The Sub-Committee will learn from international experience and collaboration. The evidence indicates that communication and collaboration between jurisdictions is vital to the success of targeted sanctions, Mr Andrews said. Other witnesses will include the Rt. Hon. Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury representing the High-Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, Professor Irwin Cotler and Mr Bill Browder, widely credited with instigating Magnitsky legislation. Senator Fawcett, Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade said, The level of interest in this inquiry reflects the high level of international commitment to human rights, and recognition that Australias contribution to a global collective effort is vital. The proceedings will be broadcast via aph.gov.au/live. Find out more about this inquiry and others by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade at https://www.aph.gov.au///Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade

15.01.2022 Speaker Tony Smith MP has just informed the House that he has issued a writ for a by-election in the division of Groom. The by-election will be held on Saturday 28 November. If you live in the electorate, now is the time to check your enrolment - the rolls close on Monday. Visit https://check.aec.gov.au/ to verify your electoral enrolment.

14.01.2022 Speaker of the House Tony Smith MP has announced that he is considering possible dates for the by-election for the electoral division of Groom, in the State of Queensland, having received today a letter of resignation from The Hon Dr John McVeigh. Dr McVeigh has been a Member of the House of Representatives since 2016.

14.01.2022 As a mark of respect for the four police officers killed in the line of duty in Melbourne on April 22, all those present in the Chamber stood in silence. Photo: Auspic

14.01.2022 LAST CHANCE: This survey closes tomorrow night. If you're in a city, we want to hear your views about regional Australia. Have your say!

14.01.2022 What is the state of the arts in 2020? Australias cultural and creative industries and institutions are the focus of a new Parliamentary inquiry, and we want to know about your experiences. Click here to take a short survey and help inform the work of the Parliament!

13.01.2022 For an overview of the key events of the last sitting week in the House of Representatives take a look at our Last Week in the House page: https://bit.ly/2LF1PRh Image: Auspic

13.01.2022 We talk about submissions ‘being open’ for parliamentary inquiries a lot. It’s a fancy way of saying you can have your say. You can find a list of every inquiry currently open for submissions here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus//Submissions_Open

12.01.2022 100 years ago yesterday, it was a sitting day in the House, and Postmaster-General George Wise was discussing infrastructure specifically, the installation of a new phone line between Sydney and Melbourne. The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee, which still exists today, providing oversight for Commonwealth public work projects. If you’re curious, we’ve located the original report from this inquiry, tabled in June of 1921. You can read it here: https://www.aph.gov.au//House_of_Representatives_Committee

11.01.2022 Parliament in the time of COVID-19 looks a bit different. Were holding a public hearing via teleconference today on the Northern Territorys second House seat. With all Committee Members dialing in remotely, our Secretariat staff are a bit lonely in the Committee room. If youd like to listen live to this or other hearings, visit aph.gov.au/live

11.01.2022 A landmark report into allergies and anaphylaxis in Australia has been tabled today in the House of Representatives. The report makes 24 recommendations, including: - Establishing a national centre for allergies and anaphylaxis to undertake research into current and emerging allergies and to set up a national register for anaphylaxis and drug allergy - Improving access to allergy specialists by reviewing the allergy and immunology workforce and providing telehealth support fo...r patients in rural, regional and remote Australia - Standardising allergy care and management to improve the quality of patient care - Improving education and training in allergies and anaphylaxis for medical and health professionals - Improving the standards of food labelling, and - Financial assistance for people living with multiple and severe allergies. Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee Chair Trent Zimmerman thanked everybody who has contributed to the inquiry, adding that testimony from the mums of children with allergies and anaphylaxis moved the Committee deeply. Following the tabling of the report in the House, Minister for Health Greg Hunt MP thanked Mr Zimmerman and the Committee for their work, saying the report would be read with great interest. You can read the full report by clicking the link below: https://www.aph.gov.au//Hea/Allergiesandanaphylaxis/Report

11.01.2022 The House Select Committee on Regional Australia will be holding a hearing today with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development. The hearing will commence at 11am. You can listen to the hearing at www.aph.gov.au/live

10.01.2022 A Parliament-first inquiry into 5G mobile technology in Australia tabled its report in the House yesterday. House of Representatives Communications and the Arts Committee Chair Dr David Gillespie MP says the inquiry saw the need for 5G to connect Australia and allow for a wave of innovation and opportunities not seen before. The Committee heard that Australia has the opportunity to be a 5G world leader. A number of organisations told us that 5G is essential if we are to be a... global competitor in food and wine production, entertainment, automated vehicles and IT, among other sectors. We also heard that there is a high level of concern among some members of the community who are worried that 5G is a risk to human health. The Committee received assurances from Australian Government agencies and researchers that 5G is a safe technology, and the safety standards in place are more than able to make sure that health is not affected when 5G is deployed. The Committee has made 14 recommendations in the report. Vist the Committee website to read the full report: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bu//Communications/5G

10.01.2022 With world bee day being celebrated today, we thought we would post some photos of our resident Visit Australian Parliament House bees, hard at work making honey stores to get them through the cold Canberra winter. Happy world bee day. #worldbeeday

09.01.2022 The House Procedure Committee will hold its first public hearing as part of its inquiry into question time in the House today at 11am. Chair of the committee Mr Ross Vasta said the Committee would hold the public hearing by teleconference. Im really looking forward to the feedback and looking into ways we can make it easier for people to engage with question time and be part of the process. Deputy Chair of the Committee Mr Milton Dick said the committee would hear from a r...ange of witnesses about how question time could be improved. The Committee has received more than 40 submissions and has conducted surveys to seek suggestions from the public and from Members on the rules and conventions around question time and opportunities for change. At the conclusion of its inquiry, the Committee will make recommendations to the House for its consideration. Further information about the inquiry is available on the Committees website. https://bit.ly/2OzqivG Witnesses and indicative times: 11am 12 noon: Mr Harry Jenkins 1pm 2pm: Ms Anna Burke 2pm 2.45pm: Professor Colleen Lewis 3pm3.45pm: Accountability Roundtable Listen to the hearing live at: https://bit.ly/35bi3dH

09.01.2022 Ahead of todays Question Time, Prime Minister Scott Morrison (ScoMo) and Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese made statements to the House on the sentencing of the New Zealand mosque attacker.

09.01.2022 The House’s largest ever e-petition has just been presented, with 501,876 total signatures. The petition was tabled in the House earlier today by the Member for Fenner Andrew Leigh MP. Watch his speech below.

08.01.2022 The House of Representatives Indigenous Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into food prices and food security in remote communities. We spoke to Committee Chair Mr Julian Leeser MP to find out more. To learn more about the inquiry or to make a submission visit www.aph.gov.au/foodprices

08.01.2022 Members are back in their electorates this week but is there more to the job than sitting in the Chamber? Find out here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/1040942359684734/

08.01.2022 We’re one month away from Christmas but how much do know about Australia’s 11th Prime Minister, Earle Christmas Grafton Page? Our colleagues the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House have more information here: https://primeministers.moadoph.gov.au/prime-mini/earle-page

07.01.2022 A new inquiry has been established by the House Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee to look into family, domestic, and sexual violence, and to examine how governments and the community can prevent violence and better support those at risk. Read more: https://bit.ly/2ACnuaD

07.01.2022 The sitting week is behind us, which means now is the perfect time to recap the week that was. In Last Week in the House, you can read a summary of all the major events in the Chamber last week: https://www.aph.gov.au//About_the_H/Last_week_in_the_House House Review is a procedural analysis of the sitting, written by our some of our most senior Clerks: https://www.aph.gov.au///About_the_House_News/House_Review... Finally, if your focus is on the votes, you can search, analyse and even download the results of any division from this or the previous term of parliament with the House Division Database: https://www.aph.gov.au/divisions

07.01.2022 Weve heard a lot of stories of people going above and beyond during the pandemic, and last week Member for Curtin Celia Hammond MP made a 90 Second Statement highlighting the work of our colleagues in the Parliamentary Education Office, who have achieved some amazing things to keep teaching children who would normally have been visiting Parliament House this year. To learn more (or if youre teaching your own children about Australias Parliament), you can check out the PEOs website at peo.gov.au.

06.01.2022 You may have noticed that the Member for Eden-Monaro recently resigned, leaving a vacant seat in the House. Following the Members resignation, the Speaker made an announcement that he would be considering dates for a by-election with advice from the Australian Electoral Commission on when this can occur. There can be many reasons a by-election can be needed, including when a member resigns from the House, when a member passes away while in office, or when a member is found to be ineligible. To see the full list of reasons a by-election may be needed and to learn what procedure the House must follow, you can read about by-elections in chapter three of House of Representatives Practice. https://bit.ly/2L6acF9

05.01.2022 A rite of passage for every new Member is making their first speech in the House of Representatives. Yesterday, new Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain took her turn.

05.01.2022 A historic moment in the House this afternoon - the first female Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, was sworn in by our first female Clerk of the House of Representatives, Claressa Surtees. Images via Auspic

05.01.2022 Talk of potential life on Venus had us reaching for the Hansard to look for other references to our near neighbour. In 1959, Member for Stirling Earl Cash asked about UFO sightings. The Minister for Air noted a recent sighting in the Blue Mountains turned out to be... Venus.

05.01.2022 Over the weekend, Guardian Australia photographer Mike Bowers captured a flyover of Parliament House to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Weve dived into the Hansard to look back at how the House responded to the end of the war back in 1945. You can read all about it here: https://www.aph.gov.au//About_the_/News/The_end_of_the_war

04.01.2022 How would you control the spread of feral cats around Australia? Submissions to a parliamentary inquiry on feral cats are now open, and we want to hear from you. Click here to have your say: aph.gov.au/environment

04.01.2022 Last week, Tim Wilson - Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein and the Economics Committee held a regular hearing with the Reserve Bank of Australia. The venue for the video conference meeting was Parliament Houses Main Committee Room, even if the only ones physically present were... our staff.

03.01.2022 The inquiry into the practices and procedures relating to question time is going to school today - specifically, the Procedure Committee will be hearing from students at Catholic College Wodonga via video link in a hearing that kicks off at 12.20pm. Streaming audio will be available at aph.gov.au/live

02.01.2022 Covering topics from Aged Care to Wine, there are currently 58 separate bills in the process of being considered by the House of Representatives. You can expect to see several of these decided on by Members next week but how does the process work, and what happens when the House agrees to a bill? Our Infosheet on making laws is the place to go for answers. https://www.aph.gov.au//00_-_Inf/Infosheet_7_-_Making_laws

01.01.2022 Western Australias Juukan Gorge has been home to a sacred site to local Indigenous peoples for over 46,000 years. In May of 2020, the site was destroyed in an explosion designed to expand a nearby iron ore mine. The destruction of this sacred site is the focus of a new inquiry from the Parliaments Northern Australia Committee, chaired by Warren Entsch. We joined Mr Entsch and another Committee member, Western Australian Senator Pat Dodson, to discuss the inquiry.

01.01.2022 In case you missed it: last week the Intelligence and Security Committee launched an inquiry on national security risks affecting Australian higher education and research. If you want to contribute to the inquiry, you have until next Wednesday. More info: https://www.aph.gov.au//NationalSecurit/Terms_of_Reference