CHP 5 - Parliament Flashcards
Session
The period during which the House meets to conduct its business is called a session
No set length and will only end when government decides it should be ended
Usually around a year (so we usually have about 4)
Prorogation
The formal process of ending session from the GG with the advice of the PM
Sittings
A division of the sessions in Parliament
Usually take the form of meetings with ranges of times
Throne Speech
The beginning and introduction to session, delivered by members of both the House and the Senate plus select dignitaries. It is read out by the GG
Confidence Vote
The vote on the throne, and a vote that the government must win in order to maintain the confidence of the House and stay in Office.
Dissolution
A request from the PM to the GG to end Parliament and will automatically entail the holding of general elections to select another Parliament (usually when non-confidence or the PM resigns)
Bills
Legislative proposals
First Reading
Introduces legislation (bill) and to give its members a chance to acquaint themselves with its provisions
Second Reading
Commons endorses basic purpose of the bill
Report Stage
Goes to committee and presents the House with the results of the study and usually includes proposals for amending some of the bill’s provisions
- The proposals are voted on by the House
Third Reading
Final version for the House
Shadow Cabinet
Composed of members of the main opposition party, Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, and is responsible for holding the Government to account and for developing and disseminating the party’s policy positions.
Opposition Critics
Members of the Shadow Cabinet, and will have the time and resources to be more focused on a particular ministry and thereby be better prepared to help their party keep the government to account on file.
Front Benchers
Composed of the Cabinet and the Shadow Cabinet. They occupy the first few rows
Backbenchers
MP’s who are not in Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet
Speaker
An MP elected by the House at the beginning of each Parliament to preside over its debates and to take responsibility for its administration.
Usually an MP from the governing party
Clerk of the House
Takes responsibility for doing the official paperwork of the House and provides procedural advice to the Speaker when this is necessary
Sergeant-at-arms
Usually a military figure, responsible for the security of the House
Hansard
The official record of the proceedings of Parliament
Taken by secretaries in charge of keeping an official record of its debates
Auditor General
Responsible for reviewing government spending
Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO)
Created in 2006
Provides Parliament with independent assessments of the government’s financial position, of its budget estimates and of broader economic trends that may impact the government’s finances
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Officer
Reports to the Speaker to deal with conflicts of interest that may arise between member’s private interests as citizens and their public duties as MPs
Proclaimation
A notice which is generally published in the relevant government gazette proclaiming the date(s) on which the Act, or a part of it, comes into operation
Estimates
It’s proposed expenditures for the coming year
