Religious Freedom Review
In 2017, the then Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, announced the appointment of an Expert Panel to examine whether Australian law adequately protected the human right to freedom of religion. The Terms of Reference for the Review were provided in December 2017. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull instructed the Panel to:
- consider the intersections between the enjoyment of the freedom of religion and other human rights.
- have regard to any previous or ongoing reviews or inquiries that it considers relevant.
- consult as widely as it considers necessary.
In May 2018, the Panel delivered its Report to the Prime Minister and made a Statement.
The Panel’s Report and the Government’s response are available on the Attorney-General's website:
Submissions
The Panel received more than 15,500 submissions on the matters contained in its Terms of Reference.
Expert Panel
The Expert Panel comprised:
- the Hon Philip Ruddock (chair)
- Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM
- the Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AO SC
- Father Frank Brennan SJ AO
- Professor Dr Nicholas Aroney
The Panel was supported by a Secretariat within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Read more at Religious Discrimination.
Review of the Parliamentary Workplace: Responding to Serious Incidents
Abstract
On 16 February 2021, the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, tasked a review of the procedures and processes involved in identifying, reporting and responding to serious incidents that occur during parliamentary employment. This was triggered by deeply distressing reports of an alleged sexual assault in a Ministerial office in March 2019 made public the previous day.
Tabling guidelines
Appendixes
A - Tabling Minute
| Reference | Title | Date of Issue |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Government document - DOCX (27 KB) | July 2024 |
| A2 | Government response to a Parliamentary Committee rep |
Government Guidelines for Official Witnesses before Parliamentary Committees and Related Matters - February 2015
The Guidelines are designed to assist departmental and agency officials, statutory office holders and the staff of statutory authorities in their dealings with the parliament. The term ‘official’ is used throughout the Guidelines; it includes all persons employed by the Commonwealth who are undertaking duties within a Commonwealth department or agency (whether employed under the Public Service Act 1999 or other legislation) and those in government business enterprises, corporations and companies.
Commonwealth Coat of Arms Information and Guidelines
Abstract
The Commonwealth Coat of Arms (the Arms) is the formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia that signifies Commonwealth authority and ownership.
The ‘Commonwealth of Australia’ is the legal entity established by the Constitution. Where the term ‘Commonwealth Government’ has been used previously to refer to the national government, whether in relation to the elected government or the bureaucracy that serves it, it will normally be appropriate to replace it with ‘Australian Government’.
Proposed Parliamentary sittings
The proposed sitting dates for each chamber of the Parliament are set out below. Dates marked with an asterisk (*) are dates on which both chambers of parliament are sitting.
Sitting days are scheduled taking into account public holidays and school holidays. School holidays and public holidays are summarised in the ‘Other events’ section on this page.
The Parliamentary sitting dates on this page will be presented to each chamber of the Parliament for agreement when the Parliament meets.
Ministry list as at 1 June 2022
Each box represents a portfolio. Cabinet Ministers are shown in bold type. As a general rule, there is one department in each portfolio. However, there can be two departments in one portfolio. The title of a department does not necessarily reflect the title of a Minister in all cases. Ministers are sworn to administer the portfolio in which they are listed under the 'Minister' column and may also be sworn to administer other portfolios in which they are not listed.
Australian Government response to the Joint Committee on Publications report
The Joint Committee on Publications report makes five recommendations: the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Finance, and the Digital Transformation Agency are responsible for responding to recommendations 1 and 4; and the Parliamentary Departments recommendations 2, 3 and 5.
Australian Government Response to the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Report: Inquiry into Exemption of Delegated Legislation from Parliamentary Oversight: Interim Report
Abstract
On 18 November 2021, the Australian Government tabled its response to the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Report: Inquiry into Exemption of Delegated Legislation from Parliamentary Oversight: Interim Report. The Committee’s Interim Report made 18 recommendations to the Government and the Parliament. The Australian Government has considered the recommendations of the Committee’s Interim Report and has provided a response.