What is a Parliament and why do we have one? The word "parliament" comes from the French word for "speaking". Parliament is, therefore, a place where people discuss and debate issues. In a parliamentary democracy such as Australia, the parliament is a place where elected representatives of the people meet to debate matters of importance to the community and make laws to govern the community. The Parliament of Victoria consists of three elements - the Crown, the 88 Member Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council, with 44 Members. The Crown (the monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II) is represented in Victoria by the Governor. The term "parliament" is often used to mean the two Houses of Parliament, the Upper House (Legislative Council) and the Lower House (Legislative Assembly). We have a parliament so that the people of Victoria, through their elected representatives, can determine what laws are in the best interest of Victorians. Parliament makes laws by putting policy ideas into the form of bills. The bills must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and approved by the Crown. Parliament also ensures that the Government (the party or group of parties with a majority in the Legislative Assembly) is accountable to the people of Victoria. Any Members of Parliament may question or criticize the Government or demand that they explain their actions. Ultimately, the Government is responsible to the people through the Parliament, because each Member of Parliament relies on the voters at election time.