Parliament - How laws are made

Question 1

Parliaments main job

Answer 1

To make laws

Question 2

Three parts of parliament

Answer 2

Upper house, Lower house, Queen’s Representative

Question 3

What makes up the Lower House?

Answer 3

• House of Representatives
• Legislative Assembly

Question 4

What makes up the Upper House?

Answer 4

• Senate
• Legislative Council

Question 5

What happens in the first reading? (First House)

Answer 5

• The clerk reads out only the title of the bill. There is no discussion, there is no vote.
• Members are then given copies of the bill to take away and read so
  that when the second reading takes places a few weeks later,

Question 6

What happens in the second reading? (First House)

Answer 6

The member introducing the bill gives a speech where they outline the need for and key features of the bill. Other
members, who by now have read the bill, get to give a speech and give their opinion on the bill.

Question 7

What happens in the consideration of detail? (First House)

Answer 7

• The bill is reviewed in detail sentence
  by sentence.
• Amendments or changes may be suggested, debated and
  recommended.

Question 8

What happens in the third reading? (First House)

Answer 8

After all of the words have been debated and agreed, it goes back to the house. There is no debate but there is one last vote on the bill.

Question 9

What happens in the Second House?

Answer 9

• The Lower House, the
  bill goes through exactly the same
  stages in the second House.
• If the bill is amended in any way at all
  by the second House, it must be
  returned to the first house to be voted
  on again
• If passed, it soon becomes law – but only after it receives Royal Assent from the King’s Representative

Question 10

What is Royal Assent?

Answer 10

If the bill is passed in the second
house, it is presented to the Governor
in Executive Council for royal assent.
If the Governor signs it, the bill then
becomes an Act of Parliament.

Question 11

What are some reasons we change laws?

Answer 11

• Response to change in the world
• Response to pressure from groups outside of parliament
• A different political party wins the election and they want to change things
• Change in policy of the party who is in govt

Question 12

How does a law get changed?

Answer 12

The process for changing an existing law is exactly the same as the process when a new law is made

Question 13

What is a demonstration?

Answer 13

Gathering of a group of people to try to influence government policy/legislation (protest)

Question 14

Strengths of demonstrations

Answer 14

• Easy and cheap to organise,
  especially online
• Can attract a lot of media attention
• Can attract new support

Question 15

Weaknesses of demonstrations

Answer 15

• Hard to attract a lot of people
• If it gets out of hand/violent, will
  get negative attention
• Parliament can easily ignore

Question 16

What is balance of power?

Answer 16

Refers to the position held by minor parties or individual members
of parliament when their vote is necessary for bills or motions to be passed.

Question 17

What does the party in government need to be able to pass new laws?

Answer 17

Separate majority of votes in both houses of parliament – the lower house and the upper house

Question 18

Who holds the balance of power in the Upper House?

Answer 18

Members of minor parties hold the balance of power in the upper house in
Victoria. Without their support, new bills cannot be passed.

Question 19

What are some reasons that it is good that government doesn’t hold the balance of power?

Answer 19

• Government does not have
  too much power
• Views of more members of the
  community and members of parliament are represented

Question 20

What are some reasons that it is bad that government doesn’t hold the balance of power?

Answer 20

• Not very democratic
• Might not be able to do what they want

Question 21

What is the VLRC?

Answer 21

Victorian Law Reform Commission

Question 22

What does the VLRC do?

Answer 22

The VLRC cannot change the law – it can only make recommendations to Parliament about how the law should change

Question 23

Who does the VLRC make recommendations to?

Answer 23

• Make recommendations to Parliament on major areas of law reform referred to them by the Attorney-General
• Make recommendations to Parliament on minor areas of law reform

Question 24

What research does the VLRC do?

Answer 24

THE VLRC COLLECTS INFO, TALKS TO EXPERTS AND THE PUBLIC, REVIEWS DATA AND STATISTICS AND CHECKS OUT HOW THINGS ARE DONE IN OTHER PLACES. IT IS LIKE A BIG RESEARCH PROJECT THAT TAKES MONTHS AND MONTHS TO FINISH