What happens at the start of each parliamentary sitting day?

Each parliamentary sitting day in the Australian federal Parliament begins with a formal opening sequence: prayers and an Acknowledgement of Country, leading into the business of the day. The sequence is set by the Standing Orders of each House and has been expanded over time to better reflect modern Australia.

Prayers are read by the Speaker (in the House) or the President (in the Senate). The federal prayer is explicitly Christian: 'Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to vouchsafe Thy blessing upon this Parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of Thy glory, and the true welfare of the people of Australia. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.' Proposals for a more inclusive or secular prayer have been raised periodically but not adopted.

An Acknowledgement of Country was added from February 2010, when then Speaker Harry Jenkins introduced the practice in the House of Representatives, followed by the Senate. The Acknowledgement recognises Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their traditional ownership of the land on which Parliament House sits. The wording, settled in consultation with Ngambri and Ngunnawal elders, recognises the Traditional Custodians of the Canberra region.

After prayers and acknowledgement, the House proceeds to business. Routine items include presentation of papers (reports, ministerial statements, petitions), giving notices of motions and questions, and the formal ordering of business under the day's agenda. Question Time (typically 2pm) is the most prominent fixed feature. Members' Statements (90-second speeches by backbenchers), the Federation Chamber sittings (a parallel House chamber for debate without divisions), and adjournment speeches (5-minute speeches at the close of the sitting day) fill out the daily schedule. The Senate operates a similar but distinct daily routine, with Senate Estimates and committee meetings shaping much of the scrutiny work.