Parliamentary Business Resources (Parliamentary Business) Determination 2025
I, Don Farrell, Special Minister of State, make the following determination.
Dated 12 February 2025
Don Farrell
Special Minister of State
Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Repeal
5 Interpretation
6 Parliamentary business of members
Schedule 1—Parliamentary duties
Schedule 2—Electorate duties
Schedule 3—Party political duties
Schedule 4—Official duties
1 Name
This instrument is the Parliamentary Business Resources (Parliamentary Business) Determination 2025.
2 Commencement
This instrument commences on the day after this instrument is registered.
3 Authority
This instrument is made under subsections 6(3) and 6(4) of the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017.
4 Repeal
The Parliamentary Business Resources (Parliamentary Business) Determination 2017 (F2017L01691) is repealed from the date this instrument commences.
5 Interpretation
In this instrument:
Act means the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017.
Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the definitions section of the Act, including the following:
constituent;
member;
office holder; and
vice regal function.
For the avoidance of doubt, an activity specified in a Schedule to this determination is specified whether it takes place within Australia or overseas.
6 Parliamentary business of members
For the purposes of paragraph 6(4)(a) of the Act, the parliamentary duties of a member are the activities specified in Schedule 1 for that member.
For the purposes of paragraph 6(4)(b) of the Act, the electorate duties of a member are the activities specified in Schedule 2 for that member.
For the purposes of paragraph 6(4)(c) of the Act, the party political duties of a member are the activities specified in Schedule 3 for that member.
For the purposes of paragraph 6(4)(d) of the Act, the official duties of a member are the activities specified in Schedule 4 for that member.
For the avoidance of doubt, a member may make a claim for and use public resources under Part 3 of the Act for an activity:
(a) undertaken for the dominant purpose of the member’s parliamentary business as defined by section 6 of the Act and specified in a Schedule to this determination and to the extent that subsections 26(1) and 26(3) of the Act apply; and
(b) which may occur in the context of a federal election.
Note: Dominant purpose has the meaning set out in section 26 of the Act.
Note: The Act and related instruments set out other limitations on the circumstances in which resources may be provided.
Schedule 1—Parliamentary duties
Column 1
Column 2
Item
Member (or class)
Parliamentary duties
1
All members who are a senator or member of the House of Representatives
In the member’s capacity as a member of the Parliament:<br>(a) Preparing for, participating in and attending to business arising from proceedings of the Parliament, whether by committee of the whole or otherwise;<br>(b) Developing, reviewing or amending legislation or proposed legislation, and activities engaged in for that purpose;<br>(c) Undertaking research, communication (including with stakeholders) or administration connected with the business of the Parliament, the member’s policy portfolio, or their role as a member;<br>(d) Preparing for, participating in, or attending to matters arising from an official government, parliamentary or vice regal meeting, event or function;<br>(e) Preparing for, participating in and attending to matters arising from a meeting (including with stakeholders), event or function for the purposes of their role as a member, including in relation to the member’s policy portfolio;<br>(f) Preparing for, participating in, or attending to business arising from a non-Parliamentary committee, taskforce or other formal group in which the member participates;<br>(g) Representing the Parliament, in accordance with an approval of the Parliament or a House of the Parliament, and engaging in associated activities for that purpose;<br>(h) Representing a Minister or office holder in their official capacity, at the request of that Minister or office holder, at a meeting, event or function;<br>(i) Representing the Government or Australia, with the approval of the Prime Minister.<br>Note: For Ministers representing the Government or Australia in their capacity as a Minister, this would be part of the member’s official duties (see Schedule 4).<br>
Note: Schedule 1 determines the meaning of parliamentary duties in paragraph 6(4)(a) of the Act.
Schedule 2—Electorate duties
Column 1
Column 2
Item
Member (or class)
Electorate duties
1
All members who are a senator or member of the House of Representatives
In the member’s capacity as their constituent’s elected representative:<br>(a) Facilitating and participating in debate, discussion, a meeting, event or function, or undertaking research or administrative functions relating to matters of importance or interest to constituents (including matters that do not relate exclusively to constituents, such as matters of national importance);<br>(b) Otherwise communicating with constituents;<br>(c) Representing the views and interests of constituents.
Note: Schedule 2 determines the meaning of electorate duties in paragraph 6(4)(b) of the Act.
Schedule 3—Party political duties
Column 1
Column 2
Item
Member (or class)
Party political duties
1
All members who are a senator or member of the House of Representatives
Participating in any of the following in their capacity as an elected Senator or member of the House of Representatives:<br>(a) A formal meeting of a political party (including a meeting of the party executive, a committee or a subcommittee);<br>(b) A national, state or territory conference of a political party.
2
All members who are a senator or member of the House of Representatives
Participating in any of the following in their capacity as an elected Senator or member of the House of Representatives as a member of a political party or in collaboration with another group of members:<br>(a) Developing policies, proposals and plans, and engaging in related activities including when the policies, proposals and plans may be used by the member or a member’s political party or group in the context of a federal election;<br>(b) Engaging or working with an administrative support function or headquarters used by a political party or by a group of members, including in the context of a federal election;<br>(c) Participating in an event, activity or function concerning matters identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) above.
3
A member of the House of Representatives whose electoral division will be abolished or changed because of a redistribution
Communicating with persons provided that:<br>(a) those persons would be constituents in a new or altered electoral division created or changed because of that redistribution; and<br>(b) the communication does not occur until the day after the date on which the final determination of the name and boundaries of the new electoral division is made in accordance with section 73 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
Note: Schedule 3 determines the meaning of party political duties in paragraph 6(4)(c) of the Act.
Schedule 4—Official duties
Column 1
Column 2
Item
Member (or class)
Official duties
1
All office holders and Ministers of State
In the member’s official capacity (being their capacity as a Minister or office holder, as the case may be):<br>(a) Exercising the powers or functions, or performing the duties, of the member’s office, or activities engaged in for the purposes of doing so;<br>(b) Attending an event to which the member has been invited in their official capacity;<br>(c) Other activities directly related to, and engaged in for the purposes of, performing the member’s official role.
Note: Schedule 4 determines the meaning of official duties in paragraph 6(4)(d) of the Act.
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