This fact sheet from the Parliamentary Education Office explains the law-making process in the Australian Parliament. It also describes where ideas for laws come from and the history of law-making in the Parliament.
Most bills are first introduced into the House of Representatives by government ministers. Other members of parliament can introduce their own bills, known as private members' or private senators' bills.
It can take months or even years for a bill to become law but most bills take 2 to 3 months. Around 200 bills are introduced into Parliament each year and about 90% of government bills are passed into law.
