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Bills, Explanatory Memoranda & Hansard

Explanatory Memoranda

Explanatory Memoranda (EM), also known as Explanatory Notes, are publications which accompany Commonwealth and State Bills, and provides an explanation of the content of the introduced version (first reading) of the bill.

It is:

  • a document that accompanies a Bill in Parliament
  • outlines the intention of the Bill
  • also known as explanatory notes or explanatory statements
  • often provides detailed notes on individual provisions in the Bill
  • invaluable in understanding the purpose of an Act or section of an Act
  • generally not published for South Australian legislation
  • available for most Commonwealth legislation