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.

Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Bill

29 June 2023 · 3rd reading · Party vote
75Aye
44No
0Abstain
0Absent

Emergency Management Bill

28 June 2023 · 1st reading · Party vote
75Aye
41No
0Abstain
3Absent

Therapeutic Products Bill

28 June 2023 · 2nd reading · Party vote
74Aye
42No
0Abstain
3Absent

Appropriation (2022/23 Supplementary Estimates) Bill

27 June 2023 · 3rd reading · Party vote
72Aye
45No
0Abstain
2Absent

Corrections Amendment Bill

27 June 2023 · 1st reading · Party vote
107Aye
10No
0Abstain
2Absent

Imprest Supply (First for 2023/24) Bill

27 June 2023 · 1st reading · Party vote
72Aye
47No
0Abstain
0Absent

Imprest Supply (First for 2023/24) Bill

27 June 2023 · 3rd reading · Party vote
72Aye
45No
0Abstain
2Absent

Water Services Entities Amendment Bill

22 June 2023 · 1st reading · Party vote
72Aye
47No
0Abstain
0Absent

Health and Safety at Work (Health and Safety Representatives and Committees) Amendment Bill

8 June 2023 · 3rd reading · Party vote
75Aye
39No
0Abstain
5Absent

Housing Infrastructure (GST-sharing) Bill

7 June 2023 · 1st reading · Party vote
57Aye
62No
0Abstain
0Absent
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