Votes

Parliament must vote on a bill at least three times before it becomes law.

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New votes are currently not being added to WhereTheyStand because the underlying data source has changed. Work is underway to fix this.

A bill must have three "readings" in the House of Representatives before enactment. These are called the first reading, second reading, and third reading. Each reading is voted on and succeeds if more members of Parliament vote in favour than against.

There are four types of vote:

  • Voice votes are the simplest type of vote. Members of Parliament shout "aye" or "no" and the Speaker makes an assessment based on how loud each side is. Any member can then call for a more formal vote.
  • Party votes are the most common type of recorded vote. Each party has a number of seats in the House and casts that number of votes (minus any absences) according to its party policy.
  • Personal votes are also called conscience votes. Each member of Parliament decides how to vote on the bill, independent of any party policy.
  • Split party votes are similar to a party vote, except one or more parties may treat the vote as a personal vote while other parties may treat it as a party vote. If a party splits its party vote across more than one position (yes, no or abstain) it must give notice of which members' votes are being allocated to each position.

Other votes may take place during the Committee of the Whole House stage. These votes are on individual amendments to a bill. WhereTheyStand does not currently record these votes.

If a bill passes all three readings it is given Royal Assent by the Governor-General. It then becomes law, although most bills specify in more detail when its provisions come into effect.

Find a vote

If you're looking for a specific bill, check the bills page.

Case-insensitive match on the bill title.

Show votes from this date range.

Vote type
Bill type

The result of the vote to search for.

All votes

894 results.

Land Transport (Rail) Legislation Bill

18 June 2020 · 2nd reading · Party vote
63Aye
50No
0Abstain
7Absent

Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill

18 June 2020 · 2nd reading · Party vote
63Aye
50No
0Abstain
7Absent

High-power Laser Pointer Offences and Penalties Bill

17 June 2020 · 1st reading · Party vote
57Aye
63No
0Abstain
0Absent

Crimes (Coward Punch Causing Death) Amendment Bill

17 June 2020 · 1st reading · Party vote
57Aye
63No
0Abstain
0Absent

Shark Cage Diving (Permitting and Safety) Bill

17 June 2020 · 1st reading · Party vote
57Aye
63No
0Abstain
0Absent

COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill

16 June 2020 · 1st reading · Party vote
119Aye
1No
0Abstain
0Absent

Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Reform) Amendment Bill

16 June 2020 · 3rd reading · Party vote
63Aye
57No
0Abstain
0Absent

Resource Management Amendment Bill

3 June 2020 · 2nd reading · Party vote
63Aye
56No
0Abstain
1Absent

Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Reform) Amendment Bill

2 June 2020 · 2nd reading · Party vote
63Aye
57No
0Abstain
0Absent

Social Security (COVID-19 Income Relief Payment to be Income) Amendment Bill

27 May 2020 · 2nd reading · Party vote
63Aye
57No
0Abstain
0Absent
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