Does Question Time have to be held each day and how long does it have to go for?

Thanks for your question, Bruce.

Question Time has to be held each sitting day in both the Senate and House of Representatives according to the standing orders – the rules that set how each chamber conducts its business. While the Senate and House have different standing orders, both say that Question Time starts at 2pm each day. The standing orders do not set a fixed length for Question Time, but it usually lasts for about one hour.

In the Australian Parliament, Question Time gives members of parliament the opportunity to question the work of the government. It also allows the government to present their ideas and their leadership abilities.

Sometimes, if the Senate or House decides to continue taking questions, Question Time can run much longer than usual. On 30 October 2025, the Senate held one of the longest Question Times in recent memory – it went for three and a half hours! The House of Representatives has also extended Question Time for longer than usual – on 14 February 2019 Question Time ran for over two hours.

The standing orders of the Senate or House can be changed by a vote in the chamber. Therefore, Question Time can be cancelled – though this is rare. Question Time will only ever be cancelled if there is an important national event or an important bill – proposed law – which needs to be discussed urgently.