PIPE stands for Parliament In Plain English. We track every bill before Australian parliaments — federal and all eight states and territories — and translate them from bureaucratic boilerplate into language that actually tells you what's going on.
Why does this exist?
Most people have no idea what's happening in their state parliament. And when they try to find out, they're met with a wall of PDF files and titles like Justice Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 3). That tells you almost nothing. Is it about police powers? Sentencing? Spit hoods on children? The official explanatory notes often don't help much either — "this bill modifies the law relating to fines for certain offences" is technically accurate and completely useless.
We built PIPE because we think transparency in democracy matters, and that starts with people actually being able to read what their parliament is doing.
What does it cover?
Every bill currently before the Federal Parliament, and all eight state and territory legislatures: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory. We update daily on sitting days.
How does it work?
We automatically collect bill information from official parliament websites every day. For each bill, we generate a plain-English title and a short summary of what it would actually change — not what it's called, not the official explanatory note, but what it does: who it affects, what gets fined, what gets jailtime, what changes for everyday people.
The plain-English titles and summaries are AI-generated, checked against the bill text. They're a starting point, not the last word — we always link to the official source, and we'd encourage you to read the original if the detail matters to you.
Is it politically neutral?
Yes. We cover every bill regardless of which party introduced it. We don't editorialise about whether a bill is good or bad policy, and we're not affiliated with any political party, government department, or lobby group.
Can I rely on this for legal advice?
No — and please don't. The summaries here are a guide to what's being proposed, not a legal interpretation of what's currently law. Bills can be amended, defeated, or never proclaimed even after passing. For anything that matters legally, check the actual legislation via the relevant parliament's website or consult a lawyer.
Is it free?
Yes. Browsing bills and reading summaries is free, no account needed. We also send free weekly email newsletters — one per jurisdiction — summarising what happened in parliament that sitting week. Sign up here →
Who runs it?
PIPE is an independent project run without government funding or party backing. We're a small team, not a not-for-profit organisation (yet), and we have no commercial relationship with any parliament or political group.
We were inspired by OpenAustralia, a not-for-profit that republishes federal Hansard and does great work for democratic transparency. We're not affiliated with them, but we share the goal — and if you want to support them directly, they're worth it.
How can I help?
Tell someone. If you found it useful, share it with a friend who'd care. That's the thing that actually moves the needle right now — we're new, we're small, and word of mouth is how projects like this get traction.