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 is usually held in the Senate and House of Representatives at 2pm every day when Parliament is meeting. It lasts for about one hour. In the Australian Parliament, Question Time gives members of parliament the opportunity to question the government’s work. It also allows the government to present their ideas and their leadership abilities.

In the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister decides how long Question Time will last or if it will actually be held at all. The Prime Minister will only ever cancel Question Time if there is an important national event or an important bill – proposed law – which needs to be discussed urgently.

On the 14 February 2019, the House of Representatives had the longest Question Time in history. It went for 150 minutes!