Search help
Quick tips
The most common ways to refine your search results.
Search for an exact phrase
Wrap your words in double quotes to find them in that exact order, with no words in between.
Example: "planning and environment bill"
Require a word to appear
Place a + directly before a word to make sure every result includes it. No space between + and the word.
Example: budget +housing +2024
Exclude a word
Place a – directly before a word to remove all results that contain it. No space between – and the word.
Example: climate -agriculture
Use filters to narrow your search
You can filter by parliamentary business type (bills, committees, Hansard, House papers, tabled papers, petitions, research papers), by parliamentary session (time period) and by house.
Word variations are included automatically
The search engine accounts for word variations and related forms. Searching vote may also return voting and voted.
How results are ranked
Results that match all your search words appear first (full matches). Results that contain only some of your words still appear below them (partial matches) — so you always see the most relevant content at the top, even if no perfect match exists.
Frequently asked questions
Why am I getting too many results?
Try wrapping your key terms in double quotes to search for an exact phrase, or use the + operator to require specific words. You can also apply date or parliamentary business filters from the results page. Search results will include terms from the title of a PDF, so generic terms like ‘house’ may return many results.
Why am I getting no results?
Check for spelling errors, or try fewer and more general words. If you used quotes, remove them to allow partial matches. Also check that any filters applied are not too restrictive.
Does capitalisation matter?
No. Searches are not case-sensitive: BUDGET, Budget, and budget will all return the same results.
Can I search for a document number, like a bill number?
Yes. Enter the number or reference code directly into the search box, or combine it with the subject matter for more specific results.