Last week mainstream media began discussing the "incredible number" of Bills before the Australian Parliament that week and how many "laws changed overnight".
Yes, there were a high number of bills before Parliament, but no, laws do not change overnight. While the amendments and provisions set out in the Bills mentioned below will have received the Governor-General's assent on or about 29 November 2024, some do not come into effect until 2025.
Here is a breakdown of legislative business covering the progress of bills before the Australian Parliament in 2024.
As at 29 November 2024 the 47th Australian Parliament - commenced at the start of the first term of the Albanese Labor Government - had considered 428 Bills to date.
A total of 162 of these were introduced during 2024 - including 7 received from the Senate. A total of 100 received consent and passed into law.
In the week beginning 25 November 2024, both the House of Representatives and the Senate were particularly busy, as the Albanese Government sought to enter the 2025 federal general election year with fewer policy and procedural matters outstanding.
During that last sitting week of 2024 the following Bills were agreed to:
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Scheduling) Bill 2024 (Senate bill presented and agreed in the House this week)
Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week)
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week)
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024 (amended in the House this week)
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024 (amended in the House this week)
Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week)
Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2024
Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Bill 2024
Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment Bill 2024
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024
Surveillance Legislation (Confirmation of Application) Bill 2024 (amended in the House this week)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week)
The following Bills were returned by the Senate with amendments:
Aged Care Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Better and Fairer Schools (Information Management) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week; the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Crimes Amendment (Strengthening the Criminal Justice Response to Sexual Violence) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Future Made in Australia (Omnibus Amendments No. 1) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Future Made in Australia Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Help to Buy Bill 2023 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 (presented and agreed in the House this week; the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Taxation (Multinational—Global and Domestic Minimum Tax) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendment)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Multinational—Global and Domestic Minimum Tax) (Consequential) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Reserve Bank Reforms) Bill 2023 (the House agreed to Senate amendments)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (the House agreed to Senate amendments).
On Thursday, 28 November 2024, the last sitting day of the year a total of 34 Bills were still before the House of Representatives.
Being read for the second time:
Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia's Transport Sector) Bill 2024
Customs Amendment (Expedited Seizure and Disposal of Engineered Stone) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Incentives and Integrity) Bill 2024
Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Bill 2024
Being read for the third time:
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024
The following 27 Bills were passed by the House of Representatives in the space of 39 minutes as the House extended its last sitting day to the early morning of the next day, Friday 29 November 2024:
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024
Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024
Sydney Airport Demand Management Amendment Bill 2024
Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
Capital Works (Build to Rent Misuse Tax) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024
Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024
Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2023
Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024
Crown References Amendment Bill 2023
Customs Amendment (ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Second Protocol
Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Amendment Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (2024 Tax and Other Measures No. 1) Bill 2024
Surveillance Legislation (Confirmation of Application) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024
Migration Amendment Bill 2024
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024
