INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK (Secondary) PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY ONE A Quiz
Here is a quiz about the Parliament of Victoria. See how many of these questions you can answer now. Then answer them again after the visit, to see if you have increased your knowledge about the Parliament.
Who is the Premier?
What party is he/she in? Who is the leader of the Opposition? Which party is he/she in?
What is a Minister?
Name three Ministers.
What is a Shadow Minister?
Name three Shadow Ministers.
What is a backbencher?
What does Parliament do?
What are the two Houses of Parliament called?
Who are your State Members of Parliament? (you have 6)
What is your STATE Electoral District?
What is your STATE Electoral Region?
What are two important jobs your MPs do?
22 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK ACTIVITY TWO PRE-VISIT The Vestibule
The Vestibule is the area just inside the front door of Parliament House.
1 Look at the motto in the Vestibule. Complete the missing words here:
“WHERE NO______IS, THE PEOPLE ______, BUT IN THE ______OF COUNSELLORS THERE IS ______.” (You will be able to talk about what this means back in class.)
2 What do you think this motto means? Tick one of these: Advisors need to be careful about what they tell people to do If there are too many advisors people will be confused and will not be able to decide When there are a number of people giving advice then good decisions will be made
3 How is this motto a symbol for democracy?
4 How is it a symbol for representative government?
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 23 PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY THREE Meet Your MPs
There are three levels of government in Australia: COMMONWEALTH or FEDERAL – for laws that apply to all of Australia STATE – for laws that apply only to a State or Territory loCAL – for laws that apply only to a local area There is a chance that you will see Members of Parliament in Parliament House during sitting periods. Record this information for your six parliamentary representatives in the Victorian Parliament. FIND YOUR MPs!
Visit www.parliament.vic.gov.au/electorates/
Under ‘Search by Suburb/Postcode’, type in your suburb or postcode...... Click ‘Search’...... Complete the details in the boxes on this and the next page....
You live in the ELECTORAL DISTRICT
of (mark this on the map on pages 26 and 27)
And your MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
is
He/she is a member of the He/she is in the Australian Labor Party Government liberal Party Opposition The Nationals and is a The Greens Minister or is shadow Minister an Independent Backbencher Presiding Officer
Look at the booklet INSIDE the Parliament of Victoria • Development of representative government in Victoria (page 5) • The three levels of government in Australia (page 11) • The Constitution of Victoria (page 13) • Representation in Parliament (page 21) • Voting (page 23)
24 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY THREE Meet Your MPs
You live in the ELECTORAL REGION of (mark this on the map on pages 6 and 7)
And your MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (you have 5) are:
NAME
Write down which party your member belongs to:
He/she is in the: and is a: Government Minister S hadow Minister Opposition Backbencher Presiding Officer
NAME
Write down which party your member belongs to:
He/she is in the: and is a: Government Minister S hadow Minister Opposition Backbencher Presiding Officer
NAME
Write down which party your member belongs to:
He/she is in the: and is a: Government Minister S hadow Minister Opposition Backbencher Presiding Officer
NAME
Write down which party your member belongs to:
He/she is in the: and is a: Government Minister S hadow Minister Opposition Backbencher Presiding Officer
NAME
Write down which party your member belongs to:
He/she is in the: and is a: Government Minister S hadow Minister Opposition Backbencher Presiding Officer
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 25 PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY FOUR Electorates
Mark (in green) the Electoral District where you live. You can find your electorate at www.vec.vic.gov.au.
Metropolitan Districts
The rest of Victoria can be found on the next page.
26 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY FOUR Electorates
Regional/Rural Districts
The rest of Victoria can be found on the next page.
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 27 PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY FOUR Electorates
Mark (in red) the Electoral Region where you live. You can find your electorate at www.vec.vic.gov.au.
Metropolitan Regions
The rest of Victoria can be found on the next page.
28 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY FOUR Electorates
Regional/Rural Regions
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 29 POST-VISIT ACTIVITY FIVE The LA Chamber
The Legislative Assembly is the ‘Lower House’ of the Victorian Parliament. It is in this Chamber that the Government is formed.
1 Tick which of these activities Opening of session member interjecting and objects you saw in the Question Time mace Legislative Assembly during member making a speech your visit:
Tick which of 2 these people associated with the Legislative Assembly you saw during your visit:
Speaker deputy Speaker Premier leader of the Opposition Ministers shadow Ministers Backbenchers Your Member Clerk Serjeant-at-Arms hansard reporter
THEN
Mark on the diagram where you would see each of these people in the Legislative Assembly.
3 Mark on the map where you would find these people/groups: • Australian Labor Party • Government • Liberal Party • Opposition And this object: • The Nationals • Press • Mace • The Greens • Public • An Independent
30 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK POST-VISIT ACTIVITY FIVE The LA Chamber
4 If you saw a Question Time, record your observations of these aspects:
Who decides whose turn it is to ask a question?
Who asks the questions?
What sort of questions?
Who replies?
What sort of replies?
How do others respond to the question?
How do others respond to the answers?
What is the atmosphere of the session?
How was it reported in the media that night?
Look at the booklet Inside the Parliament of Victoria • People of Parliament (page 20) • Parliament at work (page 28) • Hansard–recording Parliament (page 30) See Fact Sheet B2 • Question Time (access fact sheets at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/publications/fact-sheets)
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 31 POST-VISIT ACTIVITY SIX The LC Chamber
The Legislative Council is the ‘Upper House’ of the Victorian Parliament. It is a ‘House of Review’.
Tick which of these activities you saw in the Legislative Council 1 during your visit: Opening of session Question Time Member making a speech Member interjecting
Tick which of these people associated with the Legislative Council 2 you saw during your visit: Governor President Deputy President Ministers Shadow Ministers Backbenchers Your Members of Parliament Usher of The Black Rod Hansard Reporter Clerk 3 Mark on the diagram on the next page where you would see each of those people in the Legislative Council. 4Mark on the diagram where you would find these groups: Australian Labor Party Government Liberal Party Opposition The Nationals Press The Greens Public Shooters & Fishers Party Australian Sex Party Democratic Labor Party Vote 1 Local Jobs
And these objects: Black Rod Governor’s chair
32 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK POST-VISIT ACTIVITY SIX The LC Chamber
Look at Inside the Parliament of Victoria • People of Parliament (page 20)
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 33 PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY SEVEN Making the Law
One of the main functions of the Parliament is to make laws, or Acts of Parliament. Acts of Parliament are also called legislation, or statutes. When the proposed law is being debated, it is called a bill. A bill becomes an Act when it has received the Royal Assent–that is, it has been signed by the Governor.
Look at the diagram on the next page. It shows how a bill becomes an Act of Parliament.
1 Decide where on the chart you would draw lines across to separate these stages of the process: • Policy development stage–where the basic ideas about legislation are formed. • Draft legislation stage–where the ideas are put into parliamentary form. • Parliamentary debate and scrutiny stage–where the ideas and details in the bill are explained and debated. • Royal Assent stage–where the Governor signs the bill. • Enactment stage–where the bill actually comes into force as law, or an Act of Parliament.
2 If this process was being followed for a bill initiated in the Legislative Assembly, colour in red the parts of the process involving the Upper House, the Legislative Council, acting as a House of Review.
3 The Commonwealth Parliament and all State Parliaments in Australia except Queensland, Northern Territory and ACT have a bicameral system–that is, two Houses of Parliament, one of which operates as a House of Review. What might be the advantages and the disadvantages of having a separate House for this review process?
4 All Parliaments have a committee system. This involves selected Members of Parliament meeting to consider particular issues. Committees may be of one House or both (a Joint Committee), and involve Members from all parties and Independents. They often deliberate in a non-adversarial way–that is, the emphasis is on investigation rather than debate. What might be the advantages of having an active committee system?
Look at the Committees section of Parliament of Victoria’s website to learn more about the operation of parliamentary committees and the issues currently being investigated by them. See www.parliament.vic.gov.au/committees.
5 Mark on the chart those parts of the process of making a law where the public has an influence. Do you think that people have enough opportunities to influence legislation? Should they?
Look at Inside the Parliament of Victoria • How a law is made in Victoria (page 24) • Parliamentary Committees (page 26) • Parliament at Work (page 28)
34 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK ACTIVITY SEVEN PRE-VISIT Making the Law
HOW A LAW IS MADE IN VICTORIA Political Parties Individuals Members of Parliament IDEA Pressure Groups Ministerial Advisers Media Public Service Public Opinion Political Parties Discussion Party Policy Third Parties and Government Opposition Independent Members
Public Service Minister Preparation of Bill Necessary administrative With the approval of the amendments Cabinet Premier, parliamentary counsel usually prepare bill Read submission Parliamentary Counsel Approve in principle Prepares draft bill Draft bill approved by minister’s Bill Committee Final Cabinet approval
Party Caucus Approval
A bill may originate in either the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council, the exception being that bills to spend government money or to raise taxes must be introduced in the Legislative Assembly
House of Origin Initiation (most bills are initiated in the Lower House) • Legislative Assembly: Minister/Member without notice • Legislative Council: Minister/Member with notice • Appropriation Bill: Minister on receipt of message from the Governor • Private Member’s Bill: Government backbencher, Opposition Member, Independent Member; such bills cannot include an appropriation provision
First Reading • Formal motion to bring in bill – a request of, and approval from, the House to proceed • Listed for Second Reading on a future day, the exception being appropriation or supply bills, which may be read on the same day
Second Reading • Minister’s (or Private Member’s) Second Reading speech; copies of the bill, usually with explanatory notes, circulated to all Members; if bill involves expenditure from the Consolidated Fund, a message from the Governor is required • Bill is debated in principle – that is, the general propositions of the bill, but not the detail in the clauses, are debated
Consideration in detail (optional, may be dispensed with if House agrees) • Bill examined in detail, clause by clause; relevant amendments may be made. In the Legislative Council, this is called the ‘Committee of the Whole’ stage
Third Reading • Further debate, if necessary Bill Passes House Second House Procedure • A similar scrutiny procedure to that used in the House of origin is adopted. If the bill passes with amendments, those amendments are sent by message to the House of origin, and further messages flow between the two Houses accepting, rejecting or proposing modifications to the amendments. Each House must agree to any amendments in identical form before a bill can become law
Approval • When a bill has passed both Houses and any amendments have been agreed to by each, it will be prepared for Royal Assent
Clerk of Parliaments Certifies bill Governor Royal Assent Enactment On day specified in the Act OR, if Act so provides, on day proclaimed by the Governor in the Victorian Government Gazette
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK 35 POST-VISIT ACTIVITY EIGHT Reflection
1 From what you have seen, decide if the following statements about Parliament are TRUE or FALSE.
TRUE FALSE
MPs debate in Parliament. There are rules that MPs must follow. The only debate in Parliament is about proposed legislation. All MPs must be in the chamber when the House is sitting. There is a person in charge of the Parliament. One chamber is more important than the other. There is a third element to Parliament – the Crown. People can participate in Parliamentary debates. People can watch the proceedings.
STATEMENT The press is an important part of the proceedings.
From what you have seen, jot down two or three key words that you think of in response 2 to each of these questions. Then use these words as the basis of a discussion to develop more detailed answers after your visit.
KEY IDEAS ABOUT PARLIAMENT...your immediate impressions
What does Parliament House tell us about democracy in Victoria today?
What does Parliament House tell us about government in Victoria today?
What can we learn from a visit about what our MPs are doing?
Do we have a system that allows public participation in the process?
In what ways can the individual influence the law-makers?
36 INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK RELEVANCE TO AusVELS REQUIREMENTS
A practical understanding of particularly after 1900. Parliament House of Victoria as the Victorian Parliament is a Students explore the factors the seat of federal government. significant learning experience that led to Federation and year 10 for aspects of the AusVELS experiences of democracy and curriculum in relation to Civics citizenship over time. Students The Year 10 curriculum and Citizenship, and can play a understand the significance of develops student part in years 6 and 9 History. Australia’s British heritage and understanding of Australia’s This curriculum provides the Westminster system. system of government through opportunities to develop comparison with another students’ knowledge and year 7 system of government in the understanding of Australia’s The Year 7 curriculum Asian region. representative democracy and provides a study of the key Resources the key institutions, processes, features of Australia’s system and roles people play in of government and examines The Inside the Parliament of Australia’s political and legal the Australian Constitution and Victoria booklet is designed systems. how its features, principles as a reference guide to and values shape Australia’s Parliament and the Victorian year 4 democracy. system of government for The Year 4 curriculum teachers and senior students introduces students to the year 8 in related courses. purpose of local government The Year 8 curriculum provides The DVDs Inside Parliament and the services it provides to a study of the responsibilities primary schools version their community. and freedoms of citizens and covering years 5 and 6, and how Australians can actively year 5 secondary schools version participate in their democracy. covering years 7-10, show The Year 5 curriculum Students can also examine students how the Victorian introduces students to the what it means to be Australian Parliament works and how key values of Australia’s by identifying the reasons for they can get involved and have liberal democratic system of and influences that shape their say. government, such as freedom, national identity. equality, fairness and A complete list of Parliament’s justice. Students learn about year 9 print and audio visual representative democracy and The Year 9 curriculum builds resources is on the Education voting processes in Australia. students’ understanding of Zone of the Parliament Australia’s political system website. year 6 and how it enables change. TOURS OF PARLIAMENT The Year 6 curriculum Students examine the ways HOUSE provides a study of the key political parties, interest institutions of Australia’s Teachers wishing to book groups, media and individuals their students on a tour democratic government, influence government and of Parliament House or a including state/territory and decision making processes. Parliamentary Information Talk federal parliaments. Students The Year 9 History curriculum should contact the tour booking learn how state/territory and focuses on the study of the office on 9651 8568. federal laws are made in a history of the making of the Students can access a virtual parliamentary system. modern world from 1750 to tour via the Parliament website. The Year 6 History curriculum 1918 including World War I, www.parliament.vic.gov.au moves from colonial 1914-1918, an era during Australia to the development which the new Commonwealth of Australia as a nation, Parliament used the
INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK