G-day Mate!
Oct. 29, 2025
Can the title of legislation tell us something about the country that drafted it? My Aussie friend Paul O’Brien thinks so.
Paul is a Parliamentary Counsel in Australia. That means he drafts legislation, in his case, for the state of Victoria, where that fantastic city, Melbourne, is located.
In a paper Paul wrote for The Loophole—which, by the way, is a great name for the Journal of the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel—Paul took a light-hearted look at what the title of a statute says about a county. Paul compared the titles of legislation about unsolicited electronic messages in three places: Hong Kong, Canada and Australia.
In Hong Kong, the short title is: Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance. This, Paul says, is very proper and correct. It fits with the stereotype of Hong Kong being conservative and traditional, based, as it is, on its Chinese and British heritage.
Canada, Paul reckons, is a quirky place—a bit British (the Queen), a bit American (baseball.) (Go Jays Go!) Despite this—or perhaps because of it—Paul notes that we Canadians seem to be on a mission to assert our own place in the world. And so, the title of our legislation is: Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act.
By contrast, the stereotypical Australian is direct and laconic. Paul posits that Australians tend to do things rather than talk about them. And when they do talk, monosyllables are the norm. Hence, the short title of their act about unsolicited electronic messages is: Spam Act.
When it comes to plain language, Australia’s directness is a boon. I’m sure it’s what led the Australian Government to produce such an excellent online style manual.
As explained in the transcript to a helpful, little video on how to use the style manual,
“The Style Manual is written by experts and based on evidence. It provides everything you need to know about Australian Government style in one place. Use it any time you write, from briefs, reports and policies to social media and digital content. It will help you write accessible content that your users can understand.” (Emphasis mine.)
The instructions on how to use the style manual are, in themselves, a shining example of plain language. Not only can you watch a video, you can also read the full transcript of the video. In this way, the authors have thought about how to cater to different people’s learning styles.
The instructions use short, active voice sentences and short paragraphs:
On the homepage, you’ll find an overview of each section of the Style Manual. Click the links in the tiles to find out more about each topic. Use the menus at the top of the page and down the left hand side to explore further. Or type your keyword into the search box.
In ‘About the Style Manual’, you’ll find instructions about how to use the manual. You’ll also find helpful information like blog posts and where to find training.
In the changelog, you’ll find a detailed record of any changes made to the guidance in the manual.
After this general introduction, there’s a deeper dive:
Let’s explore a content page now.
At the top of each page is a content list. Click on one item to go directly to that section. Here, you’ll find detailed guidance and examples that show you how to apply the guidance.
Some boxes, like this one, show you how to write correctly in Australian Government style. [Highlighted box is titled ‘Like this’.]
Other boxes show you examples of what not to do. [Highlighted box is titled ‘Not this’.]
Some pages include important advice about mandatory requirements, like accessibility or freedom of information. This advice provides direct links to technical resources, standards and legislation you must follow.
At the bottom of each page is a list of references and information about when the content was last updated.
Finally, the authors recognized that a tool like this will keep evolving, and they invite users to offer feedback.
Use this short form to let us know if you have any comments or requests for new content in the Manual. Your feedback helps us make the Style Manual better for everybody. [The form is titled ‘Help us improve the Style Manual’.]
You don’t have to work or write for the Australian Government to use this style manual. Anyone can “rock up” as the Aussies say. Or, to quote the how-to section: “Visit stylemanual.gov.au and start writing better content today.”
Next week, I’m off to Brussels for the 2025 Plain Language conference. Let’s see what the Europeans can teach us about writing better content.
À la prochain!
Remember this: For an excellent guide to writing in plain English, look down—way down—to Australia and the Australian Government’s online Style Manual.
Effective Communication | Writing Tips & Tools | Plain Language