Documents Tabled in Parliament
The Documents Tabled in Parliament guidance provides agencies with additional information on publishing parliamentary papers online, and provides examples of what content should be included.Why Must I?
The Online Content Requirements require departments and agencies to publish a range of public accountability information online. These requirements, which include a requirement to publish documents tabled in parliament online, supersede the Online Information Service Obligations (OISOs) released in 2001
What Information is Covered by ‘Tabled Documents’?
There is no formal list of documents that should be submitted to parliament. However, once a document has been tabled in parliament they become a part of the public record, and agencies are required to publish them online. Documents presented to parliament include, but are not limited to:
- Government responses to committee reports
- Ministerial statements
- Annual Reports, and
- Other instruments.
How Do I?
In general, the online version parallels the same drafting and approval process as the offline version.
Agencies are able to decide which website is the most appropriate site for hosting documents presented to parliament. Often, this is the departmental or agency website.
It is important to ensure consistency between the offline and online versions of documents. In order to do this:
- Maintain communications between the print and online publishing functions.
- Ensure the document author verifies the online version prior to its publication.
- Ensure the online version is as similar to the offline version as possible.
Agencies should consider emphasising, in their publishing guidelines, the requirement to publish parliamentary papers online.
Information about documents to be presented to the Senate, the House of Representatives, or to both Houses of the Parliament for their consideration can be found on the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.
Example publishing model:
Related Information
Accessibility
Agencies must ensure information provided follows the Mandatory Requirements for Accessibility outlined in the Web Publishing Guide, and the Australian Human Rights Commission's Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes, which discuss the accessibility of file formats.
How Long Must Documents Tabled in Parliament be Available Online?
Best Practice statements 1, 7.1 and 7.2 from the Archiving Web Resources Policy (National Archives of Australia) relate to all records made available online. As public records, documents tabled in Parliament need to be captured into a formal recordkeeping system, along with information describing the placement and period of time the document was available online.
Who Can Help?
For assistance contact:
Web PublishingTel: (02) 6215 1653
webpublishing@finance.gov.au
For further information on documents tabled in parliament:
PM&C Tabling OfficerDepartment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Tel: (02) 6277 7212
tabling@pmc.gov.au
For further information on archiving and preservation:
National Archives of AustraliaTel: (02) 6212 3600
recordkeeping@naa.gov.au
