Explanatory Memoranda

Explanatory Memoranda (EM, also known as Explanatory Notes) are publications which accompany Commonwealth and State Bills, and provide an explanation of the content of the introduced version (first reading) of the bill.

Learn more about the history of EMs from the article 'Was There an EM? Explanatory Memoranda and Explanatory Statements in the Commonwealth Parliament' from the Australian Parliamentary Library.

Commonwealth

• Federal Register of Legislation - listed with Bills (1996 +)
  Access to explanatory memoranda listed with applicable Bills.
• Commonwealth Bills (Parliament of Australia) (1996+)

  Listed with Bills.
• Explanatory Memoranda (selective from 1983 +)

  Some selected Memoranda after 1982 (and not available on the Internet elsewhere) published on Parliament of Australia website.
• Explanatory Memoranda (1980+) (via AustLII)

  This database contains copies of Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda for Bills from 1980
• Explanatory Memoranda Index (1901 - 1982)

  This index lists all items identified as Explanatory Memoranda or as Comparative Memoranda from 1901-1982.

Queensland