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Legislation – Commonwealth

Acts, Regulations and statutory instruments

Acts and Regulations embody the laws of Australia.

ComLaw (new window) (Parliament of Australia)

Bills

Bills are draft Acts that are debated in Parliament before they are passed into law. Explanatory memorandum accompany Bills and provide some explanation of the Bill's purpose.

BillsNet (new window) (Parliament of Australia)

Explanatory Memoranda index, 1901-1982 (new window) (Parliamentary Library)

Hansard

Hansard is a written transcript of the proceedings of Parliament. Hansard debates of Bills can be useful in determining the rationale behind a Bill.

Senate hansard (new window) (Parliament of Australia)

House of Representatives hansard (new window) (Parliament of Australia)

Legislation tables

Legislation tables contain information about legislation such as dates of second reading speeches, assent and commencement and information about replaced and repealed legislation.

ComLaw legislation tables index (new window)

Government gazettes

Government gazettes contain a range of notices including information about legislation, notices of government departments, court notices, and other notices required under Commonwealth law.

Government Notices Gazettes 2002- (new window)

Other links

Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing (new window) (Attorney-General’s Department)
Information about drafting and publishing legislative instruments.

Index to Parliamentary Papers (new window) (Parliament of Australia)
Reports, returns and statements from departments, authorities, parliamentary and ad hoc committees of inquiry and royal commissions and the like, which have been presented to the Parliament and considered appropriate for inclusion.

Parliamentary Library publications (new window) (Parliament of Australia)
Publications from the Parliamentary Library, including Bills digests, research papers and background notes.

For more resources, see the VLA library catalogue (new window).