How long did the shortest sitting go for?

The red Senate chamber. There are people sitting in seats which are arranged in a U-shape around a large central table.

The Senate.

DPS AUSPIC

The Senate.

The red Senate chamber. There are people sitting in seats which are arranged in a U-shape around a large central table.

DPS AUSPIC

Description

This image is of a large room with red furnishings. The seats are arranged around a large central table. There are 3 large chairs at the open end of the U-shaped seats that are elevated above the other chairs. There are people sitting in the seats and papers on the desks.

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 question! Each sitting day, senators and members of House of Representatives meet to conduct the business of Parliament. These meetings or sittings usually run continuously for 7 to 11 hours.

Sometimes sittings are much shorter. There are lots of reasons this may be the case. For example, on 24 October 2002 the Senate sat for 2 minutes! The reason this sitting was adjourned – suspended – was so senators could attend a memorial service for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Bali.