Stage 1: Referral

Committees need a referral to start an inquiry. Often the Assembly will refer a matter to a committee for inquiry and report. All bills and petitions with over 500 signatures are automatically referred.

Committees may also initiate their own inquiries on matters they think the Assembly needs to know more about.

• At this stage of the process, you can: Write to or call your members to encourage them to look into an important issue

Committees may choose not to inquire into something automatically referred to them, but they must tell the Assembly.

Stage 2: Reference

The scope and limits of an inquiry are set out in the terms of reference which are published online and advertised on social media. Everyone who is interested in an inquiry is encouraged to make a submission

• At this stage of the process, you can: Share with your local community how they can get involved in the upcoming inquiry.
• You can read it online: Terms of reference are on our website parliament.act.gov.au.

Stage 3: Research

A committee may gather information from different sources.

They receive oral and written evidence from people, including experts, community groups, the government, and the public.

Evidence is almost always published by the committee.

• At this stage of the process, you can: Write a submission to an inquiry or speak at a public hearing.

Stage 4: Writing

The committee analyses the information in receives. It then sets out its findings and makes recommendations for actions to be taken, usually by the government.

A committee member who disagrees with content in the report may write a dissenting report report explaining why.

Stage 5: Reporting

The committee chair presents the report to the Assembly. Members can then debate the report

• You can read it online: All reports are uploaded to parliament.act.gov.au.

Stage 6: Response

The government is not bound by a report's recommendations, but they must respond to them within four months.

Responses must be presented to the Assembly.

• At this stage of the process, you can: Write to and call ministers to encourage them to act on a report's recommendations.
• You can read it online: Government responses to reports are published on parliament.act.gov.au.