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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 Coat of Arms Coalition (Political Parties) Constitution Crossing the Floor Despatch Box Double Dissolution Elections Estimates Federation Frontbenchers & Backbenchers Functions of Parliament Governor-General Government 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 (Political Parties) Party Whip Passing a Bill Petitions Political Parties Preparing a Bill for Parliament Preparing for a new federal Parliament President of the Senate Prime Minister Private Members & Senators 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 (22 Political Parties) 10 The Serjeant-at-Arms 11 The Mace 12 Coalition (22 Political Parties) 13 Preparing for a new federal Parliament 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 Parties 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 57 Government

Fact Sheet Series

You've probably heard about things like 'Cabinet', 'Mr Speaker', and 'Separation of powers'. But what do they mean? The Fact Sheet Series will answer many of those questions by explaining parliamentary terms.

Each of the Fact Sheets are available to read on the website, or may be downloaded in PDF. Make your selection from the drop-down menus above.

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Download the complete set of Fact Sheets [PDF 3.68MB, 59 pages]

List of all fact sheets

• A Day in Parliament 27
• A Day in the Life of a Member of the House of Representatives 40
• Adjournment Debate 05
• Amendments 06
• Bills and Acts 28
• Budget 53
• Cabinet 19
• Clerk 54
• Coalition (See Political Parties 22)
• Coat of Arms 01
• Constitution 31
• Crossing the Floor 38
• Despatch Box 02
• Double Dissolution 33
• Elections 41
• Estimates 42
• Federation 34
• Frontbenchers and Backbenchers 37
• Functions of Parliament 29
• Governor-General 17
• Government 57
• Hansard 44
• House of Representatives 18
• Independent Members and Senators 14
• Inside Parliament House 45
• Joint Sitting of Parliament 46
• Leader of the Opposition 15
• Mace 11
• Main Committee 08
• Media 24
• Members of Parliament in the House of Representatives 20
• Ministers 48
• Ministers and Shadow Ministers 21
• Parliament House Facts 43
• Parliamentary Committees 49
• Party leadership in the Senate and the House of Representatives 07
• Party Meetings (See Political Parties 22)
• Party Whip 26
• Passing a Bill 36
• Petitions 50
• Political Parties 22
• Preparing a Bill for Parliament 51
• Preparing for a new federal Parliament 13
• President of the Senate 16
• Prime Minister 23
• Private Members and Senators 47
• Question Time 39
• Senate 25
• Senators 32
• Separation of Powers 35
• Serjeant-at-Arms 10
• Speaker 30
• Speaker's Chair 03
• Standing Orders 52
• Three Levels of Government 55
• Usher of the Black Rod 04
• Where Bills Come From 56

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