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Fact Sheets in alphabetical order A Day in Parliament A Day in the Life of an MP Adjournment Debate Amendments Bills and Acts Budget Cabinet Clerk Coalition Coat of Arms Constitution Crossing the Floor Despatch Box Double Dissolution Elections Estimates Federation Frontbenchers & Backbenchers Functions of Parliament Governor-General Hansard House of Representatives Independents Inside Parliament House Joint Sitting of Parliament Leader of the Opposition Mace Main Committee Media Members of Parliament Ministers Ministers & Shadow Ministers Parliament House Facts Parliamentary Committees Party Leadership Party Meetings Party Whip Passing a Bill Petitions Political Party Preparing a Bill for Parliament President of the Senate Prime Minister Private Members & Senators Prorogation & Dissolution Question Time Senate Senators Separation of Powers Serjeant-at-Arms Speaker Speaker's Chair Standing Orders Three Levels of Government Usher of the Black Rod Where Bills Come From Fact Sheets in numerical order 01 The Coat of Arms 02 Despatch Box 03 The Speaker's Chair 04 The Usher of the Black Rod 05 Adjournment Debate 06 Amendments 07 Party Leadership 08 Main Committee 09 Party Meetings 10 The Serjeant-at-Arms 11 The Mace 12 Coalition 13 Prorogation & Dissolution 14 Independents 15 Leader of the Opposition 16 President of the Senate 17 The Governor-General 18 House of Representatives 19 Cabinet 20 Members of Parliament 21 Ministers & Shadow Ministers 22 Political Party 23 The Prime Minister 24 The Media 25 The Senate 26 The Party Whip 27 A Day in Parliament 28 Bills & Acts 29 Functions of Parliament 30 The Speaker 31 The Consitution 32 Senators 33 Double Dissolution 34 Federation 35 Separation of Powers 36 Passing a Bill 37 Frontbenchers & Backbenchers 38 Crossing the Floor 39 Question Time 40 A Day in the Life of an MP 41 Elections 42 Estimates 43 Parliament House Facts 44 Hansard 45 Inside Parliament House 46 Joint Sitting of Parliament 47 Private Members & Senators 48 Ministers 49 Parliamentary Committees 50 Petitions 51 Preparing a Bill for Parliament 52 Standing Orders 53 The Budget 54 The Clerk 55 Three Levels of Government 56 Where Bills Come From

19 Cabinet

Cabinet is a committee of government ministers chaired by the Prime Minister. It is the main decision making body of the executive government. The ministry includes about thirty members and senators. Cabinet includes about seventeen senior ministers. Only cabinet ministers attend cabinet meetings unless there is a specific matter that requires the presence of junior ministers. All cabinet discussions and decisions are secret although records of cabinet meetings are opened to the public after thirty years.

In cabinet meetings, ministers introduce proposals for new bills from their departments. The cabinet discusses proposals for new bills – especially the costs - and recommends to the minister whether a bill should proceed or further changes should be made. Sometimes the cabinet sets up a sub-committee of ministers to examine an issue in greater detail. Cabinet spends a lot of time discussing current national problems and how they can be solved through legislation or other means such as regulations.

Cabinet makes decisions in different ways depending on how the Prime Minister chairs the meeting. Some Prime Ministers use a democratic vote to decide an issue. Other Prime Ministers prefer to try and reach a consensus decision.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet provides all the technical, legal and other expert advice for the Cabinet to operate effectively.

Cabinet usually meets in the Cabinet room in Parliament House on Mondays, although it may meet at any other time if there is a lot of business. Sometimes the cabinet meets in other locations, especially in Sydney and Melbourne.

Cabinet is accountable to Parliament for the running of the government. The Parliament scrutinises the ministers and the government during Question Time each day in both chambers, as well as twice a year in estimates committees.

The Cabinet Room is located on the ground floor in Parliament House opposite the Prime Minister’s office and close to the offices of the other ministers. The room is highly secure and is regularly swept electronically, and mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices cannot be used. High security is essential because the cabinet discusses confidential and secret matters that affect the life and well-being of the nation.

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