9.00am – The Australian Parliament has been dissolved.
The dissolution is a constitutional process that allows the writs for the July 2 double dissolution election to be issued. The dissolution is undertaken by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister. The election writs command the Australian Electoral Commission to conduct the election and set out the various dates involved in the election process.
A brief ceremony was held in Parliament House during which the Governor-General’s Official Secretary, Mark Fraser, read the Proclamation dissolving both houses of parliament. Fraser was accompanied by the Clerk of the Senate, Rosemary Laing, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, David Elder.
- Watch the Dissolution ceremony (10m)
Proclamation by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.
Listen to the Governor-General’s Official Secretary, Mark Fraser, read the Proclamation (2m)
Watch Mark Fraser read the Dissolution Proclamation (2m)
