INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY ......WhAT dOes PARlIAmenT dO? WhAT ARe The TWO hOuses Of PARlIAmenT CAlled? ACTIVITY ONE A Quiz here is a quiz about the Parliament of Victoria

(Secondary)

INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA

ACTIVITYWORKBOOK

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?

WhAT Is A shAdOW mInIsTeR?

WhAT Is A BACKBenCheR?

WhAT ARe TWO ImPORTAnT jOBs YOuR mPs dO?

WhAT Is YOuR sTATe eleCTORAl RegIOn?

WhAT Is YOuR sTATe eleCTORAl dIsTRICT?

nAme ThRee mInIsTeRs.

nAme ThRee shAdOW mInIsTeRs.

WhAT dOes PARlIAmenT dO?

WhAT ARe The TWO hOuses Of PARlIAmenT CAlled?

ACTIVITY ONEA 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.

InsIde The PARlIAmenT Of VICTORIA ACTIVITY WORKBOOK

PRE-VISIT

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WhO ARe YOuR sTATe memBeRs Of PARlIAmenT?

(YOu hAVe 6)

The Vestibule

is the area just inside the front door of

Parliament House.

ACTIVITY TWOThe Vestibule


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.)

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

How is this motto a symbol for democracy?

1

2

3

How is it a symbol for representative government?4

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ACTIVITY THREEMeet Your MPs

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.

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)

he/she is a member of the

Australian labor Party liberal Party The nationals Victorian greens or is an Independent

he/she is in the

government Oppositionand is a minister shadow minister Backbencher Presiding Officer

of (mark this on the map on pages 26 and 27)

is

You live in the ElECToRAl DISTRICT

And your MEMBER of THE lEGISlATIVE ASSEMBlY


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

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....

PRE-VISIT

24

ACTIVITY THREEMeet Your MPs


are:

of (mark this on the map on pages 6 and 7)

You live in the ElECToRAl REGIoN

And your MEMBERS of THE lEGISlATIVE CoUNCIl (you have 5)

Write down which party your member belongs to:





He/she is in the: government Opposition





NAME

NAME

NAME

NAME

NAME

PRE-VISIT

and is a: minister Backbencher

shadow minister Presiding Officer









25

ACTIVITY FOURElectorates

Mark (in green) the Electoral District where you live. You can find your electorate at www.vec.vic.gov.au.


PRE-VISIT

The rest of Victoria can be found on the next page.

26

Metropolitan Districts




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27

Regional/RuralDistricts


Mark (in red) the Electoral Region where you live. You can find your electorate at www.vec.vic.gov.au.


PRE-VISIT


28

Metropolitan Regions



PRE-VISIT

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Regional/Rural Regions

The legislative Assembly is the ‘lower House’ of the Victorian Parliament. It is in this Chamber that the government is formed.

ACTIVITY FIVEThe lA Chamber

Tick which of these activities and objects you saw in the legislative Assembly during your visit:

Opening of session member interjecting Question Time mace member making a speech

Tick which of these people associated with the legislative Assembly you saw during your visit:

THEN

Mark on the diagram where you would see each of these people in the legislative Assembly.

speaker deputy speaker Premier leader of the Opposition ministers shadow ministers Backbenchers Your member Clerk serjeant-at-Arms hansard reporter


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

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2

3

PoST-VISIT

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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)

ACTIVITY FIVEThe lA Chamber


4

PoST-VISIT

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?

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ACTIVITY SIXThe 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

during your visit:� Opening of session

� Question Time

� member making a speech

� member interjecting

Tick which of these people associated with the legislative Council

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

those people in the legislative Council.

Mark on the diagram where you would find these groups:� 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


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2

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PoST-VISIT

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ACTIVITY SIXThe lC Chamber


look at Inside the Parliament of Victoria

• People of Parliament (page 20)

PoST-VISIT

33

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)

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.

ACTIVITY SEVENMaking the law


PRE-VISIT

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ACTIVITY SEVENMaking the law


Political PartiesIDEA

IndividualsMembers of Parliament

Ministerial AdvisersPublic Service

Pressure GroupsMedia

Public OpinionPolitical Parties

HOW A LAW IS MADE IN VICTORIA

Public ServiceNecessary administrative

amendments Cabinet

Preparation of Bill

With the approval of the Premier, parliamentary counsel

usually prepare bill

HOuSE Of ORIgINInitiation (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

OndayspecifiedintheActOR,ifActsoprovides,ondayproclaimedbytheGovernorintheVictorianGovernmentGazette

Clerk of ParliamentsCertifiesbill

governor

Enactment

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 bymessage to theHouseoforigin,and furthermessagesflowbetween the twoHousesaccepting, rejectingorproposingmodifications to theamendments. 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

DiscussionParty Policy

Third Parties and Independent MembersOppositiongovernment

Minister

Parliamentary Counsel

Prepares draft bill

Read submissionApprove in principle

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

Royal Assent

PRE-VISIT

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ACTIVITY EIGHTReflection

from what you have seen, decide if the following statements about Parliament are TRUE or fAlSE.

from what you have seen, jot down two or three key words that you think of in response 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?


2

1

PoST-VISIT

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.

The press is an important part of the proceedings.STAT

EMEN

T

TRUE fAlSE

36

A practical understanding of the Victorian Parliament is a significant learning experience for aspects of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 in Civics and Citizenship. The curriculum here provides opportunities to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of Australia’s representative democracy and the key institutions, processes, and roles people play in Australia’s political and legal systems. It is also relevant to aspects of the History curriculum.

LEVELS 3 & 4

In Levels 3 & 4, students explain how decisions can be made democratically and the role of local government. They recognise the importance of rules and laws and identify key democratic values.

LEVELS 5 & 6In Levels 5 & 6, students identify the values that underpin Australia’s democracy and explain the importance of the electoral process. They describe the purpose of key institutions and levels of government in Australia’s democracy. They explain the role of different people in Australia’s legal system and the role of parliaments in creating law. They describe the roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government.

The Levels 5 & 6 History curriculum moves from colonial Australia to the development of Australia as

a nation, particularly after 1900. Students explore the factors that led to Federation and experiences of democracy and citizenship over time. Students understand the significance of Australia’s British heritage and the Westminster system.

LEVELS 7 & 8The Levels 7 and 8 Civics and Citizenship curriculum provides a further study of the key features of Australia’s system of government. Students analyse features of Australian democracy, and explain features that enable active participation. They explain how Australia’s legal system is based on the principle of justice, and describe the types of law and how laws are made. study of the responsibilities and freedoms of citizens and how all citizens can actively participate in their democracy.

LEVELS 9 & 10The Levels 9 and 10 curriculum builds students’ understanding of Australia’s political system and how it enables change. Students examine the ways political parties, interest groups, media and individuals influence government and decision making processes. The curriculum develops student understanding of the Australian government’s roles and responsibilities at a global level.

The Levels 9 and 10 History curriculum focuses on the study of the history of the making of the modern world from 1750 to 1918, including World War I and the era from 1901 when the new Commonwealth Parliament used the Parliament House of Victoria as the seat of Federal Parliament.

RESouRcESThe Inside the Parliament of Victoria booklet is designed as a reference guide to Parliament and the Victorian system of government for teachers and senior students in related courses.

A series of lesson plans addressing the Civics and Citizenship curriculum at all levels is available on Parliament’s website.

For a complete list of Parliament’s print, audio visual and online resources go to the Education Zone and About Parliament on the Parliament website.

TouRS oF PARLIAMENT HouSETeachers wishing to book their students into an education program at Parliament House, or to arrange a metropolitan school visit should contact the tour booking office on 9651 8568 or email [email protected].

Students can access a virtual tour via the Parliament website.

www.parliament.vic.gov.au

RELEVANcE To VIcToRIAN cuRRIcuLuM REQuIREMENTS

Documents

INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA ACTIVITY ......WhAT dOes PARlIAmenT dO? WhAT ARe The TWO hOuses Of PARlIAmenT CAlled? ACTIVITY ONE A Quiz here is a quiz about the Parliament of Victoria