Passing a Bill

1st Reading (House of reps)

Bill is introduced to the House of reps

2nd Reading (House of reps)

Main idea of the bill is debate about and voted on

House committee

public inquiry and report back

Consideration of detail

members discuss in detail and changes are made to bill

3rd Reading (House of reps)

Members vote on the bill in it’s final form

BILL PASSED IN HOUSE OF REPS

moves to the senate

1st Reading (Senate)

2nd Reading (Senate)

senate committee

Consideration of the whole

3rd Reading (Senate)

BILL PASSED SENATE

moves to Governor general

Royal assent

the Governor general signs the bill

Bill Becomes an act of parliament

the bill becomes a law

Double dissolution

• special election

• both the entire House of Representatives and the full Senate are dissolved

• all seats are up for election. It happens to resolve a deadlock when the Senate keeps rejecting a bill from the House.

Bill is not passed in House of Reps

Will either be:

• terminated

  or

• the sponsor of the bill will rewrite it and present it to the house of reps at another date.

Bill is not passed in the Senate

2 things:

• terminated

  or

• go back to the house of reps to be rewritten and refined

In the cases where there is a deadlock between the 2 houses a

a double dissolution election is called, if the same bill is rejected again, a joint sitting of both houses may be held to vote on the bill together.