{"id":"C2004A03790","name":"House of Representatives (Quorum) Act 1989","slug":"house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"42 of 1989","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":436169,"registerId":"C2004A03790-fast-fetch-1775953428462","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"House of Representatives (Quorum) Act 1989","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nHouse of Representatives (Quorum) Act 1989\n\n \n\nNo. 42, 1989\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to determine the quorum of members of the House of Representatives\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Short title\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Quorum\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n \n\n \n\nHouse of Representatives (Quorum) Act 1989\n\n \n\nNo. 42, 1989\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to determine the quorum of members of the House of Representatives\n\n[Assented to 3 June 1989]\n\nThe Parliament of Australia enacts:\n\n1  Short title\n\n  This Act may be cited as the House of Representatives (Quorum) Act 1989.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n  This Act commences on the day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.\n\n3  Quorum\n\n  The presence of at least one-fifth of the whole number of the members of the House of Representatives is necessary to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act sets a statutory quorum of \"at least one‑fifth of the whole number of the members\" (s 3). The text does not refer to or describe prior quorum rules or transitional adjustments, so the Act itself simply establishes the quorum in statutory form and does not, on its face, record a change from a prior instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Single, short operative provision prescribing a clear numeric threshold (s 3)","No cross-references to other statutes or delegated instruments","Immediate commencement provision reduces transitional complexity (s 2)","Lack of procedural detail for counting attendance or handling vacancies creates minor practical ambiguities (s 3)","No delegated discretion or administrative rules in the text — straightforward legal effect but operational questions left to the House"],"plain_english_summary":"The Act fixes the House of Representatives’ quorum at “at least one‑fifth of the whole number of the members,” taking effect the day after Royal Assent. It binds members and officers who organise sittings: business may only proceed when that statutory minimum is present, so attendance and administrative verification become the key practical duties. The measure is mechanically simple and leaves practical counting questions to be resolved by the House."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: setting the quorum for the House of Representatives. It has not expanded beyond this single, specific function since enactment."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 operative sections (Short title, Commencement, Quorum)","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislation","Single substantive provision with straightforward mathematical formula (1/5 of members)","No exceptions, conditions, or nested logic","Total length under 200 words"],"plain_english_summary":"This law sets the minimum number of Members of Parliament (MPs) who must be present in the House of Representatives before it can legally conduct business.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Establishes that at least **one-fifth (20%) of all MPs** must be present to form a valid meeting (called a \"quorum\")\n- For example, with 151 MPs currently in the House, at least 31 MPs would need to be present\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Members of the House of Representatives\n- The Speaker (who must check a quorum exists before proceedings begin)\n- Anyone watching Parliament — if there aren't enough MPs present, the House cannot vote on laws or debate issues\n\n**Why it matters:**\nWithout this rule, a tiny handful of MPs could theoretically pass laws without proper scrutiny. The quorum ensures a reasonable level of representation and participation before the House can exercise its powers. This Act puts into ordinary legislation what the Australian Constitution (section 39) allows Parliament to determine for itself."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989","history":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989/history","analysis":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/house-of-representatives-quorum-act-1989/documents"}}