Does question time have to be held each day and how long does it have to go for?

Thanks for your question, Bruce.

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.

It occurs in the Senate and the House of Representatives at 2pm every day when Parliament is meeting and usually lasts for about one hour. 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!