On 30 May 1996, the Senate agreed to a motion by Senator Harradine requiring all Australian Government departments and agencies to produce an indexed list of files every 6 months for tabling before parliament. The list is intended to make the operations of government more transparent to the Australian public.
As part of the government's ongoing commitment to provide Australians greater access to relevant government information quickly and easily, the original Senate order was amended in 1998 and now requires departments to also list these files on their internet websites.
The lists are tabled twice a year, in the Spring sittings (comprising file titles created in the preceding January to June) and in the Autumn sittings (comprising file titles created in the preceding July to December).
Requirements of the Senate Order for the Production of Indexed Lists of Departmental and Agency FilesExternal Link.