House of Representatives FAQs

1. How can I contact my local Member?

   The Contacting Senators and Members website provides information on elected parliamentarians, including their contact details.

2. How do I find out about the work of the House?

   Infosheet No. 12 Finding out about the House is a good place to start when looking for information about the work of the House.

3. How do I get my petition before the House and what will happen to it after it is presented?

   See Infosheet No. 11 Petitions to find out more on this subject

4. What are the sitting times of the House?

   The sitting times of the House of Representatives are set out in its standing orders. See also the order of business.

5. What are the standing and sessional orders?

   The standing orders are the formal rules of procedure adopted by the House to regulate its proceedings. The sessional orders are formal temporary rules of procedure which in most cases expire at the end of a session, usually when the House is dissolved for a general election.

6. What is a quorum?

   A quorum is the minimum number of Members who must be present to constitute a meeting of the House. See Infosheet No. 24 Glossary of procedural terms for the current quorum requirements.

7. What is the House doing?

   Infosheet No. 12 Finding out about the House provides information on where to go to find out what the House is doing.

8. When is the House sitting?

   To see when the House is scheduled to sit, check the sitting calendar.

9. Where can I find information on the parliamentary international program?

   Information about the Parliament’s international work is on the International Program page.

10. Where can I find more information about the House of Representatives and the Parliament?

    The House has a series of infosheets that provide information on the House.

    The website’s search engine may be more useful for locating specific items of information.

    Seminars are conducted on the operations of the House, which are open to anyone on payment of a fee.

11. Where can I get a copy of legislation?

    The text of most bills before the Parliament is available on the bills website. See also Infosheet No. 7 Making laws and the Federal Register of Legislation.

12. Where can I look at a copy of the Constitution?

    The text of the Australian Constitution is available at several websites including:

    ▪ www.aph.gov.au/constitution
    ▪ https://ausconstitution.peo.gov.au

    See also Infosheet No 13. The Constitution.

    
    

13. Who is my local Member?

    If you know the name of federal electoral division in which you live, you can use it to find your local Member on the Contacting Senators and Members website.

    If you do not know the name of the electoral division in which you live, you can find it, and the name of your local Member, on the Australian Electoral Commission website.

14. Who is the Clerk and what do they do?

    Information on the Clerk is in Infosheet No. 21 The Clerk and other officials.

15. Why is the House of Representatives Chamber green?

    Green is the colour traditionally used by the British House of Commons, and the Australian House of Representatives followed that tradition when the old Parliament House was being built and furnished in 1926-7. The shades of green selected in the present Chamber represent the grey-green tones of native eucalypts.