An Act to provide for public meetings of the Parliament, for the Formation of a service to provide information on Parliamentary Business, and for connected purposes

Preface

1. This Act shall be known as the Parliamentary Papers Act, Bill 945, 2025.

Public meetings of Parliament

2. No individual shall be restricted from spectating the proceedings of the Parliament, including debates, divisions or any other matter of Parliamentary business. Except for the meetings of committees, which shall only be open to public observation at the discretion of the Leader of the Parliament.
3. Individuals may request to exercise the right to observe the Parliament by requesting parliamentary access.
4. Requests for parliamentary access are made to any officer of Parliament, including the Speaker of the Parliament and the Clerk of the Parliament, in addition to the Leader of the Parliament.
5. Parliamentary access is permanent, except if revoked by the Speaker of the Parliament in agreement with the Leader of the Parliament.

Hansard

6. Every week, in which Parliament is sitting, and there is business within the Parliament, a record of parliamentary business, named Hansard, will be published. Hansard will include contributions from members, results of divisions, including how members voted, and any other details as dictated by Standing Order.
7. The Parliament shall enact a standing order to manage the precise operations of Hansard.
8. Hansard will publish individual documents for proceedings within the Parliament itself and committees which the Leader of the Parliament has designated as open to public observation.
9. Hansard will begin publication in the first week following the enactment of this present bill as an Act of the Parliament. Should no Standing Order be enacted by the Parliament by the first scheduled publication of Hansard, or any subsequent publications, the Leader of the Parliament shall publish Hansard based on their own discretion based on this present Act.