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Parliamentary Education Office, 2008. Please visit the Image Library page for important information about use of images.

Description

This diagram illustrates how a bill becomes a law.

House of Representatives:

• First reading. The bill is introduced.
• Second reading speeches. Minister explains the bill and members give their opinions. Vote taken.
• Consideration in detail. Members discuss each part of the bill in detail and vote on each amendment.
• Third reading. Members vote on the current version of the bill. Bill passed and sent to the Senate.

Senate:

• First reading. The bill is introduced.
• Second reading speeches. Senators give their opinions. Vote taken.
• Committee of the whole. Senators discuss each part of the bill in detail and vote on each amendment.
• Third reading. Senators vote. Bill passed and returned to the House if there are Senate amendments.

The House of Representatives votes on all the Senate amendments. The bill is passed if the two houses agree on all the amendments in the final version.

The Governor-General signs the bill. This is called royal assent. The bill is now a law.