parliamentary Glossary h-l
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Hansard
Hansard is the daily record of the words spoken in parliament. The student accessed Hansard records from 1988 on the Parliament of Australia website.
head of state
The head of state is the formal leader of a country or group of people organised under one government. When a head of state visits the Parliament his or her national flag is flown.
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the judicial power set up under the Australian Constitution to rule on disputes that arise from the Constitution, and to hear appeals from other federal courts and the supreme courts of each state. Most sittings of the High Court of Australia take place in Canberra.
honourable
Honourable is a title reserved for current and former ministers, and for certain other people such as the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The honourable member retired after a long and distinguished career in the federal Parliament.
House of Assembly
The House of Assembly is the name of the lower house of parliament in the state parliaments of South Australia and Tasmania. The House of Assembly sat late into the night.
House of Commons
The House of Commons is one of two houses of parliament in the United Kingdom and Canada, in which members are elected on the basis of population. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom sits in the House of Commons.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is one of two houses of parliament in the United Kingdom comprising hereditary, appointed and elected members. The House of Lords is also known as the upper house.
house of parliament or house
(see also chamber)
A house is a separate part of a law-making body. The Australian Parliament has two houses—the House of Representatives and the Senate.
House of Representatives
(see also people’s house)
The House of Representatives is one of two federal houses of the Australian Parliament. The House of Representatives is also known as the lower house, the people’s house or the House. Visitors to the Parliament of Australia sat in the public galleries and watched Question Time in the House of Representatives.
house of review
The Senate is sometimes called the house of review, meaning a house which provides a second look or a close re-examination of matters considered in the House of Representatives. The bill was sent to a Senate committee in the house of review.
how-to-vote card
A how-to-vote card is a card or piece of paper handed out at an election by a political party or candidate showing the voter how the party or candidate would prefer the voter to vote. The first-time voter appreciated the distribution of how-to-vote cards.
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in camera
To be in camera is to be in private or in secret. The witness appearing before the parliamentary committee asked to give evidence in camera.
Independent
An Independent is a member of parliament who does not belong to a political party. The Independent senator stated that he did not agree with the recommendations being put forward by either of the two major parties.
informal vote
An informal vote is a voting paper which is not counted during a federal election because it has not been filled in correctly. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) was pleased by the drop in informal votes.
in order
To be in order is to be in agreement with the rules of parliamentary procedure. The President ruled that the question was in order.
interest group
An interest group is a body of people organised to further a cause or an interest which they have in common. Members of parliament often get letters from interest groups seeking their support.
interjection
An interjection is a remark made to interrupt or respond to a point during a speech or conversation. THe Minister's speech was interrupted by a loud interjection from the public galleries.
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joint committee
A joint committee is a parliamentary committee made up of members of both houses of parliament. The joint committee demonstrated the ability of both houses to work together to solve a problem.
joint sitting
A joint sitting is a combined meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate in one chamber, usually to make a decision on a proposed law which the two houses, sitting separately, have been unable to agree on. A joint sitting of the parliament was required to finally resolve the legislative deadlock.
Journals of the Senate
The Journals of the Senate are the official records or minutes of meetings of the Senate. The proposed amendments to the bill were recorded in the Journals of the Senate.
judge
A judge is someone whose job is to hear and decide cases in a court of law. Australia’s judges work in a number of courts including the High Court of Australia, federal courts and the supreme courts.
judicial power
Judicial power is the power to interpret or apply the law and one of three powers under the Constitution, the others being legislative power (exercised by the Parliament) and executive power (exercised by the Executive). The judge defended the court’s judicial power when the minister criticised his interpretation of the law.
Judiciary (the)
- The Judiciary is the branch of Australian governance concerned with the administration of justice. It is made up of the system of courts and judges. The Judiciary responded to laws proposing mandatory consequences for first time offenders.
- The Judiciary is a term which applies to the collection of people who hold the office of judge.
justice
Justice is the act of doing what is right and fair. In Australia the system of courts and judges is responsible for seeing that justice is done.
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law
- A law is a rule or set of rules recognised by society as binding. Australia operates by the principle of rule of law.
- The law is the area of knowledge or occupation that has to do with these rules. The student studying law hoped to gain a position in the parliament.
Leader of the Government in the Senate
The Leader of the Government in the Senate is a senator and the government’s most senior minister in the Senate. He or she is chosen to lead the government party in the Senate. The Leader of the Government in the Senate indicated that government senators would support the motion.
Leader of the House
The Leader of the House is a member, chosen by the government, who arranges and manages government business in the House of Representatives. The Leader of the House announced the time at which the House would finish that day.
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the party which is second largest to the government in the House of Representatives, and which is made up of members and senators who do not support the government. The Leader of the Opposition called on the Australian people to vote for members of his team at the upcoming federal election.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate is a senator and the opposition’s main spokesperson in the Senate. He or she leads the opposition party in the Senate. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate stated clearly that the opposition would reject the bill.
leave
Leave is granted to a member or senator, with the permission of all members or senators present in the chamber at the time, to do something which is not provided for in the standing orders and which otherwise could not be done at that time or in that way. The minister asked for leave of the House to make a statement. The chamber granted leave.
legislation
- Legislation is a law or set of laws. Parliament passed new legislation to lower the voting age.
- Legislation is the act of making laws.
Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly is the name of one of two houses of parliament elected on the basis of population, in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. It is the name of the only house in Queensland, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Most of Australia’s Legislative Assemblies are decorated in shades of green in the same way that the federal lower house is predominantly green.
Legislative Council
The Legislative Council is one of two houses of parliament in all states except Queensland which, like the territories, has only one house. Most of Australia’s Legislative Councils are decorated in shades of red in the same way that the federal upper house is predominantly red.
legislative power
Legislative power is the power to make and change laws, and one of the three powers under the Constitution, the other powers being judicial power (exercised by the High Court of Australia and other courts) and executive power (exercised by the Executive). The Parliament of Australia uses its legislative power to create laws that apply to the whole country.
Legislature (the)
The legislature is the law-making body of a country or state. Australia has three levels of legislature—one federal legislature; six state and two territory legislatures and over 650 legislatures at the local level.
lobby
- A lobby is a group of people trying to get support for a cause. The environmental lobby made a statement to the committee of inquiry.
- To lobby is to approach people for support. The spokesperson for ‘Save our Rainforests’ visited the Minister for the Environment to lobby her for support.
local governance
Local governance is the management of the affairs of a shire, city, municipality, borough or town by people who are elected by the residents of that area to make by-laws which relate to matters of local interest.
local government
Local government refers to the non-elected people who administer local by-laws and who are usually employees of a council. Local government is responsible for providing government services to the local community such as park and sports fields, street lighting and signs, libraries and town swimming pools.
long title
The long title of a bill is the full title of a bill which sets out briefly the scope of the bill. The Clerk read the long title of the Immigration Bill 2006 to the house.
lord mayor
A lord mayor is the head of the main council of a capital city. The Lord Mayor was shocked by the increase in vandalism throughout the city.
lower house
Lower house is the name sometimes given to the House of Representatives. The lower house is generally the larger house parliament with two chambers whose members represent electorates with a similar numbers of voters. The lower house is sometimes called the people’s house or the first chamber.