Glossary

Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officer.

"Custom and Practice"

 

The way the Legislative Assembly applies the rules by which it conducts its business and determines the way it will govern its procedures when there are not rules set down.

"Daily Program"

 

A brief document that sets out the order of business for the day's sittings. It takes into account Sessional Orders and any special resolution of the Legislative Assembly for that day's sitting (issued for the general guidance of members). It is not a formal document and the business listed is subject to change.

"FLPs"

 

Fundamental legislative principles as defined in the Legislative Standards Act 1992.

"Hansard"

 

The full edited reports of the speeches of members of the Legislative Assembly. These are substantially verbatim reports that are edited with repetitions and redundancies omitted and mistakes corrected. The Hansard is not the official record of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly.

"House"

 

Short for House of Parliament. In Queensland, a unicameral Parliament, the term House means the Legislative Assembly. The term is used in this handbook to distinguish from the Committee of the Whole House.

"Leave"

 

Permission of the Legislative Assembly to do something outside of its rules.

"LCARC"

 

Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee - established under the Parliamentary Committees Act 1995 (Qld).

"MEPPC"

 

Members' Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee - established under the Parliamentary Committees Act 1995 (Qld).

"Motion"

 

A form of words proposed by a member which if agreed to becomes an order or resolution of the Legislative Assembly.

"Notice"

 

A means available of showing an intention to do something on a particular day.

"Notice Paper"

 

Also called the Business Paper, it sets out all items of business currently before the Legislative Assembly awaiting further debate.

"Order"

 

An order is a mandatory command by which the Legislative Assembly directs its committees, members, officers and occasionally strangers to do (or not to do) certain things. For a motion to be classified as an order it must also relate to the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly.

"Parliament"

 

In Queensland the Parliament comprises the Legislative Assembly and the Sovereign's representative, the Governor.

"PCJC"

 

The Parliamentary Criminal Justice Committee - established under s115 of the Criminal Justice Act 1989 (Qld).

"PAC"

 

The Public Accounts Committee - established under the Parliamentary Committees Act 1995 (Qld).

"PWC"

 

The Public Works Committee - established under the Parliamentary Committees Act 1995 (Qld).

"Recess"

 

The period between the prorogation and the next meeting of Parliament, that is, between two sessions of a Parliament. The word is, however, often loosely used in speaking of any period during which the House is adjourned for more than a week.

"Resolution"

 

The mechanism by which the Legislative Assembly declares its opinions, purposes and its relationships with matters external to itself.

"Select Committees"

 

Committees established by an order of the House.

"Sesional Orders"

 

Motions passed by the Legislative Assembly which enable it to do certain things and take certain actions not covered by Standing Orders or that are designed to supersede a particular Standing Order for the duration of a parliamentary session.

"Sitting Day"

 

A day on which the Legislative Assembly actually sits and conducts business.

"SLC"

 

The Scrutiny of Legislation Committee - established under the Parliamentary Committees Act 1995 (Qld).

"Statutory Committees"

 

Committees established by statute.

"Subsidiary Motions"

 

Motions that are mainly procedural in character and are dependent on something else, such as an Order of the Day.

"Substantive Motions"

 

Self - contained motions that express a decision or opinion of the Legislative Assembly.

"TSAFE"

 

The Travelsafe Committee - a select committee established by resolution of the Legislative Assembly.

"Votes and Proceedings"

 

The official record of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly.

"Vote of Confidence"

 

The Legislative Assembly indicates in a vote that the Government has its support. Usually the question is posed in the negative by the Opposition moving a motion "That the House has no confidence in the Government" or similar. However, the Government may itself also test the support of the Legislative Assembly by posing the question in the positive "That the House has confidence in the Government".

"Westminster System of Government"

 

The system of Government developed in the United Kingdom. (Westminster being where the UK Parliament meets.)