Membership Application

Full membership of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery is only open to journalists, photographers, camera operators, technicians and other professionals whose occupation or principal purpose is reporting or analysing parliamentary or government news.

New membership applications must be endorsed by the bureau chief for the organisation employing the applicant and must be approved by one of the four office bearers on the Gallery executive committee: the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

New membership applications for those who have no bureau chief within the Press Gallery and no employing organisation within the Press Gallery must be endorsed by four (4) full members of the Press Gallery and approved by the Gallery executive committee. These applications must be made in writing to the President of the Press Gallery.

The Gallery members who endorse a new membership applicant should consider this carefully.

A member may not use his or her membership or the facilities of the Press Gallery to obtain a benefit other than by journalism. A member may not represent the interests of, or provide communications advice to, political parties, governments, extra-legislative groups or commercial clients.

Applicants must make the following declarations:

a) My principal occupation is reporting, analysing or otherwise conveying parliamentary or federal government news;

b) I am assigned to Parliament House in Canberra on a regular and continuing basis;

c) I require day-to-day access to the Press Gallery of Parliament House to fulfill my functions; and

d) I commit to abide by the Constitution of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery and I accept that my membership can be suspended or revoked under Section 6 and Section 7 of the Constitution.

The committee’s decision on all membership applications is final.

The committee asks for a contribution of $5 from applicants at the time their pass has been approved. Money raised from the issuing of passes goes towards expenses such as flowers for families of Press Gallery members following a bereavement, and website hosting costs.

Agreed by the Press Gallery Committee, November 2018.