What records to manage
Senators and Members and their staff are responsible for managing their official records. Official records comprise Commonwealth records and private records.
Commonwealth records
Records created as an office holder, such as a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, are the property of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth records include:
- correspondence written or received by a Minister
- Cabinet records
- briefings and advice
- master copies of speeches given in the capacity of a Minister
- ministerial media releases
Private records
Records created or received by a Senator or Member in the course of their official duties are private records. All official records created by Senators and Members who are not Ministers are private records, except in the case of Parliamentary Committee records which are Commonwealth records. For Senators and Members who are Ministers, records that do not pertain to their duties as Ministers are also private records. Private records include:
- correspondence with or on behalf of constituents
- press clippings
- Hansards
- documents relating to use of entitlements
- staff, finance and office records
For further advice contact
Shirley Sullivan
Manager – Personal Records
National Archives of Australia
Phone: (02) 6212 3937
Email: shirley.sullivan@naa.gov.au
