No.1 Senate business documents (PDF 145KB)

This guide describes the formal documents of record of the Senate and other documents used in the Senate.

Senate business documents

Standing orders

The Senate's operating rules are contained in standing orders which govern the conduct of proceedings. 

Standing orders cover a wide range of topics, from the election of the President to the composition of and rules for committees, the consideration of legislation, the rules of debate, the routine of business and the conduct of senators.

Notice Paper

The Notice Paper is the agenda of the Senate and contains a list of business before the Senate on a particular day and the business that is scheduled for consideration on future days. Further information on the business contained in the Notice Paper can be found in the Guide to the Senate Notice Paper.

The "Red"

The Order of Business (known as the "Red") is an informal version of the agenda that sets out the Senate's likely daily program. Based on the routine of business for that day in the standing orders, the Red incorporates lists of business from the Notice Paper and details of expected business, such as the titles of documents or reports to be tabled that day.

Dynamic Red

The Dynamic Red is an online resource that provides real-time information on Senate's business as it progresses through a sitting day. It shows the outcomes of the various items of business (including how senators have voted in divisions) and provides links to relevant material, including bills, amendments, running sheets and the text of any motions due to be considered.

Senate Journals

The Senate's minutes, the Journals, are the official record of the Senate. The Journals document every decision made, vote taken and document tabled in the Senate.

Hansard

Hansard is the transcript of proceedings in both Houses and their committees.

Documents relating to legislation

Bills

A bill is a proposal for a new law or to modify an existing law. A bill becomes an Act of Parliament after it has been agreed to in identical terms by both Houses and assented to by the Governor-General.

All bills and related documents are available on the relevant bill homepage, accessible from the Bills and Legislation page. A complete list of all bills before Parliament for the calendar year and details of their progress is available from the Senate bills list.

Explanatory memoranda

Each bill is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum (or EM for short), which explains the general policy of the bill and how each clause in the bill is intended to operate if it is passed.

If the Government has circulated amendments, they are accompanied by a supplementary EM explaining the proposed changes. The supplementary EM is usually tabled at the beginning of the committee of the whole stage but it is usually published when the amendments are circulated.

If a bill is amended by the initiating House, a revised EM incorporating the changes is tabled when the bill is introduced in the other House.

Amendments

If a senator wants to make changes to a bill, they will prepare (or "draft") amendments. 

Non-government senators are assisted by the Clerk Assistant (Procedure) in drafting their amendments while government amendments are usually drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Amendments to a bill are available on the Dynamic Red and on the relevant bill's homepage.

Running sheets

If senators circulate amendments to a bill, a "running sheet" will be prepared to help to manage and follow proceedings.

A running sheet lists all circulated amendments to a bill in a suggested order. 

Running sheets are available from the Dynamic Red. Physical copies are available in the Senate.

For further information about the legislative process, see Guide No. 16—Consideration of legislation, Guide No. 17—Debating legislation under time limits and Guide No. 18—Communication between the Houses – dealing with messages.

Other information

Procedural scripts ("dits")

Procedural scripts (sometimes referred to as "dits") are provided to senators to assist them to conduct business in the Senate. They may relate to giving or moving notices of motion (see Guide No. 8—Notices of motion), introducing bills (see Guide No. 16—Consideration of legislation), suspending standing orders (see Guide No. 5—Suspension of standing orders), presenting committee reports, or other procedures.

Senate daily and weekly summaries

The summaries are an informal resource making the work of the Senate more widely accessible. The information is categorised under general headings such as "Bills", "Committees", "Documents", "Other business" and "Statistics", collating multiple parliamentary records and resources for easy reference. 

The Week Ahead

The Week Ahead is an online resource that outlines business scheduled for the upcoming sitting week. It is published one or two days prior to the commencement of sittings.

Need assistance?

For assistance with any of the matters covered by this guide, government senators or their staff should contact the Clerk Assistant (Table), on extension 3020 or ca.table.sen@aph.gov.au; and nongovernment senators or their staff should contact the Clerk Assistant (Procedure), on extension 3380 or ca.procedure.sen@aph.gov.au.

Last reviewed: JUNE 2025