Before rising for the 2026 election, the House of Representatives adopted new rules for the operation of the next Parliament. The changes include a new Legislative Scrutiny Committee, revised procedures for passing legislation under urgency and new guidance on how select committees should approach public submissions.

Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee is considering the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill (“Bill”). Franks Ogilvie submitted on this bill, making suggestions on how the Bill could better promote democratic accountability in local government and reduce wasteful spending.

In the lead-up to general elections, successive governments have chosen to exercise restraint in how they make decisions. These arrangements are sometimes loosely referred to as the “caretaker convention” or “caretaker conventions”. Strictly, the Cabinet Manual uses the term “caretaker convention” for the arrangements that apply after an election, or where a Government has clearly lost the confidence of the House. Different protocols apply during the pre-election period, as set out in the Cabinet Manual, a Cabinet Office Circular and guidance from the Public Service Commission.