About the House News

In this section

By-election for the electoral division of Groom

Thursday, 8 October 2020

A by-election in the division of Groom will be held on Saturday 28 November.

Chamber

Groom by-election

Friday, 18 September 2020

A statement from the Speaker, following the resignation of Member for Groom Dr John McVeigh.

General interest Procedural

House History: The end of the war

Tuesday, 18 August 2020

On Wednesday 15 August 1945, World War II ended. How was the end of the war marked in the House of Representatives? Read on to find out.

Chamber General interest

COVID-19: Statement by the Presiding Officers regarding sittings of Parliament – for the period 24 August 2020 to 3 September 2020

Monday, 17 August 2020

An announcement on arrangements for operations and activities at Parliament House for the upcoming sittings, along with specific requests to persons travelling to the ACT.

General interest

The Parliament’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Both Houses of the Parliament sat from 10 to 18 June 2020 in what was the first full sitting fortnight since the beginning of March. In the first week, the Houses sat on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (the first sitting Friday since 2008).

General interest Chamber Procedural Committee

Resignation of Member and valedictory remarks

Friday, 29 May 2020

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 Member’s seat becomes vacant from the time the letter of resignation is received by the Speaker or the Governor-General.

Chamber General interest Procedural

House Review: 8 April 2020

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

On 8 April, the focus of the House was on four bills to implement further elements of the Government’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chamber Procedural

COVID-19: Statement by the Presiding Officers regarding temporary and precautionary changes to Parliament House operations

Monday, 16 March 2020

Following implementation of pandemic planning measures, ongoing consultations between the Presiding Officers, Parliamentary Departments and relevant Commonwealth officers and agencies including the Chief Medical Officer, temporary and precautionary changes have been made regarding the operations of Parliament House.

General interest Chamber Committee

Last chance to have your say on regional Australia

Thursday, 27 February 2020

Time is running out to have your say on life in regional Australia.

Committee General interest

House Review: 4 - 13 February 2020

Tuesday, 18 February 2020

The first sitting fortnight of the year featured a condolence motion by the Prime Minister on the Australian bushfires; an address by the President of Indonesia; the election of a new Deputy Speaker; and presentation of the Closing the Gap Report 2020.

Procedural Chamber

Mr Llew O’Brien elected Deputy Speaker

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien has been elected the 44th Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Chamber General interest Procedural

Indonesian President Joko Widodo addresses the House

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

On Monday, 10 February 2020, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency Mr Joko Widodo, delivered an address in the House of Representatives.

Chamber General interest

International parliamentarians gather in Canberra

Monday, 13 January 2020

Canberra is hosting to a meeting of parliamentarians from around the world, with the 28th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum opened today.

General interest

Questions on Notice: We’ll join our Houses

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

The House and the Senate have the power to investigate matters by using Committees - but what happens if BOTH Houses want to look into an issue?

Committee General interest

Questions on Notice: Mace head revisited

Wednesday, 13 November 2019

Having seen an image of the Mace online, a writer asked the Serjeant if they could see some higher-quality images of the Mace, and about what happened when our current Mace replaced the House’s previous Mace in 1951.

General interest Chamber

Refresh of North Queensland Defence Bases
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works has announced that it will scrutinise a new project from the Department of Defence which aims to provide vital estate maintenance and upgrades to support capability across RAAF Base Townsville, Townsville Field Training Area and HMAS Cairns.
Approval processes for new drugs and medical technologies under review
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
On Thursday 22 and Friday 23 April 2021 the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will hold two days of public hearings in Melbourne as part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia.
Skilled migration inquiry hearings across Victoria
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
The Joint Standing Committee on Migration will hold a series of public hearings in Melbourne, Albury and Shepparton from 21–23 April 2021.
Space Inquiry to hear from Australia’s First Astronaut
Monday, 19 April 2021
Dr Paul Scully-Power, Australia’s first astronaut, will appear before the House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources for its Inquiry into Developing Australia’s Space Industry.