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 Victorian 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 • Victorian 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

Mark on the diagram on the next page where you would see each of 3 those people in the Legislative Council.

Mark on the diagram where you would find these groups: 4  Animal Justice Party Government  Australian Labor Party Opposition  Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Press  Fiona Patten’s Reason Victoria Public  Independent  Liberal Democrats  Liberal Party  Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party  Sustainable Australia  The Nationals  Transport Matters Party  Victorian Greens

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 VICTORIAN CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS A practical understanding a nation, particularly after The Levels 9 and 10 History of the Victorian Parliament 1900. Students explore curriculum focuses on the is a significant learning the factors that led to study of the history of the experience for aspects of the Federation and experiences making of the modern world Victorian Curriculum F-10 in of democracy and citizenship from 1750 to 1918, including Civics and Citizenship. The over time. Students World War I and the era curriculum here provides understand the significance from 1901 when the new opportunities to develop of Australia’s British heritage Commonwealth Parliament students’ knowledge and and the Westminster system. used the Parliament House of understanding of Australia’s Victoria as the seat of Federal representative democracy levels 7 & 8 Parliament. and the key institutions, The Levels 7 and 8 Civics Resources processes, and roles people and Citizenship curriculum play in Australia’s political provides a further study of The Inside the Parliament of and legal systems. It is also the key features of Australia’s Victoria booklet is designed relevant to aspects of the system of government. as a reference guide to History curriculum. Students analyse features Parliament and the Victorian of Australian democracy, system of government for LEVELS 3 & 4 and explain features that teachers and senior students in related courses. In Levels 3 & 4, students enable active participation. explain how decisions can be They explain how Australia’s A series of lesson plans made democratically and the legal system is based on addressing the Civics and role of local government. They the principle of justice, and Citizenship curriculum at recognise the importance of describe the types of law all levels is available on rules and laws and identify and how laws are made. Parliament’s website. study of the responsibilities key democratic values. For a complete list of and freedoms of citizens Levels 5 & 6 Parliament’s print, audio and how all citizens can visual and online resources In Levels 5 & 6, students actively participate in their go to the Education Zone identify the values that democracy. and About Parliament on the underpin Australia’s Parliament website. democracy and explain the Levels 9 & 10 importance of the electoral The Levels 9 and 10 TOURS OF PARLIAMENT process. They describe the curriculum builds students’ HOUSE purpose of key institutions understanding of Australia’s Teachers wishing to book their and levels of government in political system and how it students into an education Australia’s democracy. They enables change. Students program at Parliament House, explain the role of different examine the ways political or to arrange a metropolitan people in Australia’s legal parties, interest groups, school visit should contact system and the role of media and individuals the tour booking office parliaments in creating law. influence government and on 9651 8568 or email They describe the roles and decision making processes. [email protected]. responsibilities of the three The curriculum develops levels of government. student understanding of Students can access a the Australian government’s virtual tour via the Parliament The Levels 5 & 6 History website. curriculum moves from roles and responsibilities at a colonial Australia to the global level. www.parliament.vic.gov.au development of Australia as