Could a member of parliament bring a pet or assistance animal with them into the chambers or Parliament House?
Aerial view of Australian Parliament House
DPS Auspic
Aerial view of Australian Parliament House
DPS Auspic
Description
This aerial photograph shows Australian Parliament House, including the curved walls, the Senate wing, the House of Representatives wing and the Executive wing. The design of Parliament House allows people to walk over the grass on top of the building. This is a symbol of the role of the public in Australian democracy – the people are above the government.
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.
Thanks for your interesting question, Harry.
The Australian Parliament has made a law called the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 which says that assistance animals must be allowed into Parliament House and other public buildings. Anyone is welcome to bring their service animal into the public areas of Parliament House. We are sorry to say that pets are not allowed!
To date, we are not aware of any current or former member of parliament needing to bring an assistance animal into the Senate or House of Representatives.