How Do Bills Become Australian Law?

The legislative process is the journey that a bill takes to become law. It involves several steps, including drafting the bill, debating it in Parliament, and finally voting on whether it should become a law. During this process, different people and groups examine the bill carefully to make sure it is fair and in the best interests of the country.

There is a lot to cover when teaching your students about how bills become Australian law! Luckily, Teach Starter is here to cut down on your preparation time when it comes to the Civics and Citizenship curriculum… just download, project, and start teaching!

Ready-Made Lessons on Australian Bills and Laws

These teaching slides explain the journey a bill must go through before becoming Australian law in age-appropriate language, with appealing visuals to keep your students engaged throughout. The presentation covers the following topics:

• A brief history of law in Australia
• What is a bill?
• The legislative process
• The path of a bill
• What is a parliamentary committee?
• Types of committees
• Submissions to committees
• Public participation in committees
• Debating bills
• The role of public servants
• Decision makers
• Separation of powers
• Executive government
• Drafting bills
• Assent from the Governor-General
• Implementing legislation

The resource also includes student-centred activities throughout the presentation to keep your students on their toes and to make sure they are grasping the concepts presented.

It’s As Easy As Download, Project, Teach!

Use the dropdown menu to access the Microsoft PowerPoint or the Google Slides version of this resource.

Project onto your interactive screen and work through the slides for a ready-made, paperless Civics lesson!

This resource was created by Caitlyn Phillips, a Teach Starter collaborator.

Looking for more time-saving resources to use when exploring bills and laws? You’re only a click away!

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Bills and Laws in Australia Flipbook

Discover how bills become Australian law with this student-directed inquiry task.

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Bills and Laws in Australia – Word Wall

Learn vocabulary related to bills and laws in Australia with this set of 16 word wall cards.

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Developing and Introducing Bills – Comprehension Worksheets

Explore how bills are introduced and developed through the parliamentary process with this differentiated reading comprehension activity.