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Acts Interpretation Amendment (Aboriginality)

Current status

This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.

Policy area

Government & democracy

What does this bill do?

The bill proposed changing how the Acts Interpretation Act 1901The general federal law that helps define how Commonwealth Acts are read and applied. refers to Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander ancestry.

Why was it introduced?

The bill sought to amend statutory interpretation rules dealing with references to Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander ancestry, but no explanatory memorandum was collected and the Senate stopped the bill at first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber..

Broader context

This bill was a short-lived private senator’s bill. The parliamentary story is mostly procedural: Senator Hanson sought to introduce it, the Senate defeated first-reading motions, and the bill did not proceed.

Key criticism

The collected material does not include substantive debate explaining senators’ reasons. The recorded votes show the Senate opposed the bill proceeding at first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber. and later rejected a committee referral.

Who supported it?

Senator Pauline Hanson introduced this bill. It was supported by One Nation, Jacqui Lambie Network; opposed by Greens, Liberal Party, Labor, Nationals, some crossbench members; and did not pass.

Introduced in Senate 11 May 2023
Failed in Senate 14 June 2023
Did not reach House —
Did not become law —

Did it become law?

No

The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.

Final passage

Did not pass

3 recorded votes before the bill stopped proceeding

Time before failure

34 days

From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. The bill proposed changing how the Acts Interpretation Act 1901The general federal law that helps define how Commonwealth Acts are read and applied. refers to Aboriginality and Torres Strait Islander ancestry.

  2. The Senate did not let the private senator’s bill proceed past first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber..

  3. No explanatory memorandum, proposed amendments or final Act metadata were collected for this bill.

Show source excerpts
  1. Amends the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 in relation to references to a person or member of the Aboriginal race of Australia
    APH bill page summary
  2. First reading negatived
    APH bill page progress
  3. APH documents page listed no explanatory memorandum and no proposed amendments at collection time.
    Collected APH source notes

Context

Broader context for this bill

This bill was a short-lived private senator’s bill. The parliamentary story is mostly procedural: Senator Hanson sought to introduce it, the Senate defeated first-reading motions, and the bill did not proceed.

  1. 11 May 2023

    Hanson seeks to introduce Aboriginality interpretation bill

    Senator Pauline Hanson presented the bill and moved that it proceed to first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber..

    ParlInfo Hansard ↗
  2. 11 May 2023

    Senate blocks first-reading motion

    The Senate defeated the first-reading motion 44 votes to 3.

    ParlInfo division ↗
  3. 14 June 2023

    Later first-reading and committee-referral attempts fail

    The Senate again defeated first-reading and committee-referral motions, leaving the bill not proceedingThe bill did not complete the parliamentary process and did not become an Act..

    APH progress record ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 11 May 2023

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

First readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber. negatived 11 May 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

First readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber. negatived 14 June 2023

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

The collected material does not include substantive debate explaining senators’ reasons. The recorded votes show the Senate opposed the bill proceeding at first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber. and later rejected a committee referral.

The page avoids attributing policy arguments that were not collected in the source bundle.

Senate would not allow first reading

The main recorded objection is procedural: senators voted down the motion needed for the bill to proceed.

Raised by A Senate Majority Source ↗

Further sources

aph.gov.au ↗ parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗ parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗ parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗

Votes

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

These were the main recorded votes on the bill.

Defeated

Second first-reading attempt defeated

Aye 4 No 44

Defeated 4 to 44. Support came from One Nation and Jacqui Lambie Network. Opposition came from Greens, Liberal Party, Labor, Nationals, and minor parties and independents.

14 June 2023

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
One Nation 2 / 0
Jacqui Lambie Network 2 / 0
Greens 0 / 12
Liberal Party 0 / 11
Labor 0 / 17
Nationals 0 / 2
Independent 0 / 2

Amendments at a glance

Other recorded votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.

Senate

Defeated

First reading attempt defeated

Aye 3 No 44

Defeated 3 to 44. Support came from UAP and One Nation. Opposition came from Greens, Liberal Party, Labor, Nationals, and minor parties and independents.

11 May 2023

The vote stopped this private senator's bill from moving further through the Senate.

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
UAP 1 / 0
One Nation 2 / 0
Greens 0 / 11
Liberal Party 0 / 7
Labor 0 / 22
Nationals 0 / 1
Independent 0 / 2
Jacqui Lambie Network 0 / 1
Defeated

Committee referral attempt defeated

Aye 4 No 38

Defeated 4 to 38. Support came from One Nation and Jacqui Lambie Network. Opposition came from Greens, Liberal Party, Labor, Nationals, and minor parties and independents.

14 June 2023

The vote stopped this private senator's bill from moving further through the Senate.

Party Recorded votes Aye / No
One Nation 2 / 0
Jacqui Lambie Network 2 / 0
Greens 0 / 11
Liberal Party 0 / 6
Labor 0 / 18
Nationals 0 / 2
Independent 0 / 1

This list includes amendment votes, procedural votes and votes on the bill itself.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Pauline Hanson

One Nation • Senator 11 May 2023

Hanson sought to introduce the bill and have it proceed without formalities to a first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber..

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

One Nation

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Pauline Hanson ★ Hanson sought to introduce the bill and have it proceed without formalities to a first readingThe formal first step for a bill in a chamber. If the chamber rejects it, the bill cannot keep moving through that chamber..
    “I present the bill and move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time.”

    One Nation • Senator • 11 May 2023

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

Full chat