Editing Pro forma (section)

===Westminster system===
In certain [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations with a [[Westminster system]], such as the [[United Kingdom]], Canada, and [[Australia]], ''pro forma'' bills are introduced immediately before consideration of the [[speech from the throne]]. ''Pro forma'' bills are incomplete pieces of legislation and undergo only the [[reading (legislature)|first reading]] stage. They symbolize the authority of the [[parliament]] to discuss matters other than those specified by the [[head of state]], for which ostensibly parliament was summoned. After first reading, the bill is never considered further. The ''pro forma'' bill was first introduced in the [[House of Commons of England]] in 1558.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E&List=faq#cs1|title=The Library of Parliament's research tool for finding information on legislation|publisher=[[Library of Parliament]]|date=2010-01-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202015730/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E&list=faq#cs1|archive-date=2010-02-02}}</ref>

In the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], the equivalents are the [[Outlawries Bill]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and the [[Select Vestries Bill]] in the [[House of Lords]]. In the [[Parliament of Canada]], such bills are titled [[Bills C-1 and S-1|Bill C-1, An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office, and Bill S-1, An Act relating to Railways]] in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] and [[Senate of Canada]], respectively. In the [[Australian House of Representatives]], a new bill (known as the "formal" or "privilege bill") is drafted at the start of each parliamentary term (e.g. in the [[47th Parliament of Australia|47th Parliament]] this was the [https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6873 Customs Amendment Bill 2022]) and presented by the Prime Minister. The bill is read the first time and is printed (published), but, unlike normal bills, the second reading is not moved and remains on the [[Order Paper|agenda]] indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Opening of Parliament |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/About_the_House_News/News/The_Opening_of_Parliament |access-date=2022-08-18 |publisher=Parliament of Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> However, departing from British and Canadian tradition, the contents of the bills do address the matters referred to in its title, and could theoretically be enacted like any other normal bill. This practice does not extend to the [[Australian Senate]]; instead other formal business is conducted (such as [[question time]] and procedural motions) before consideration of the governor-general's speech.