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