|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly are the official record of all that is done in the Legislative Assembly, or in effect the minutes of the House. This should not be confused with Hansard which is the record of what is said in debates in the Assembly.
(1) The Clerk will record all votes and proceedings of the House.
(2) The Votes and Proceedings:
The Votes and Proceedings record items of business considered by the Legislative Assembly.
As the title suggests, Votes of the House are recorded, including any formal vote (division) which has taken place in the House and which lists the members voting for and against a question. Further information about divisions can be found in Fact Sheet 32: Divisions.
Also recorded are the Proceedings, or any action taken by the House, such as the moving of motions, tabling of documents or whether debate has occurred, resumed or been adjourned to another day. All decisions debated or agreed to by the House are recorded.
Some items of business found recorded in the Votes and Proceedings may include:
For further details about business of the Assembly on sitting days see Fact Sheet 1: A Typical Day in the House.
Click here to download a sample page from Votes and Proceedings.
The Votes and Proceedings show all action taken by the House and record the names of members who move motions, amendments to legislation, if there was debate and whether or not the motion was agreed to or defeated. The entries reflect all present and past precedents which are also used for research.
If any action taken in the House is challenged in court, section 60 of the Evidence Act 1958 provides that the Votes and Proceedings can be produced as evidence of the decisions of the Assembly.
The Votes and Proceedings are recorded each day when the House is sitting. The Clerks record the details electronically in the House and this information is used to produce the official Votes and Proceedings. They are printed and distributed to various organisations and are available on the Parliament’s internet site.
Initially the Votes and Proceedings are produced on a daily basis; these are available online at the end of each sitting day and are proof copies. After further proofreading, the final version is published consisting of the Votes and Proceedings for the entire sitting week; when these are available, they replace the daily online versions.
A copy of the weekly printed Votes and Proceedings is signed by the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and the Speaker. At the end of each parliament, these documents are bound and kept as the permanent record in the Parliament’s archives.
A supplement is attached at the back of the weekly Votes and Proceedings containing progress of bills considered in detail. The supplement also includes the text of any amendments moved while the bill was considered in detail. For further details about the process for amending bills, see Fact Sheet 17: Amendments to Bills — A Practical Guide.
When the Legislative Assembly is sitting the daily Votes and Proceedings are available from the Legislative Assembly, Procedure Office. They are also available on non-sitting days between the hours of 9.00 am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday in the Procedure Office.
You can also view the Votes and Proceedings through the Parliament’s internet site www.parliament.vic.gov.au by choosing the Legislative Assembly Chamber Documents.
Legislative Assembly → Documents → Chamber Documents → Votes and Proceedings → [Choose sitting period]
Use the archives if searching for Votes and Proceedings in earlier sitting periods.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au → Legislation and Bills → Parliamentary Documents → Archive → Votes and Proceedings → [Choose sitting period] → [Choose relevant document]
The Assembly Abridged is a convenient summary of the Votes and Proceedings and shows in a condensed form what has taken place in the House each sitting day. This document is also available through the Legislative Assembly, Procedure Office and on Parliament’s website.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au → Legislative Assembly → Documents → Chamber Documents → Assembly Abridged → [Choose relevant date]
The Legislative Assembly Procedure Office has produced a series of Fact Sheets that explain parliamentary procedure and terminology. All Fact Sheets are available on Parliament's website www.parliament.vic.gov.au or through the Procedure Office.
Legislative Assembly Procedure Office
Parliament House
Spring Street
EAST
MELBOURNE VIC 3002
|
Phone: |
03 9651 8563 |
|
Fax: |
03 9650 7245 |
|
Email: |
To make our Fact Sheets as effective as they can be, we need your feedback. Click here to complete an online questionnaire.
Compiled by the Procedure Office
and issued by the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
September 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|