Chapter 3 - Publication
of Senate proceedings
Hansard
Debates in the Senate are recorded and
published in Parliamentary Debates, more commonly known as Hansard. A proof
Daily Hansard is produced, in which errors of transcription may be corrected.
Corrected Hansards are then incorporated in a paper bound Weekly Hansard and
finally are bound in hard covers for the record. Hansard is also entered in a
database for ease of access and electronic searching, and on the Internet.
The publication of Hansard is authorised by standing order 43(3), and is
therefore absolutely privileged.
Soon after they
deliver a speech, senators receive a copy of the transcript from Hansard. Senators may make
necessary corrections to the transcript, but changes altering the sense or
introducing new matters are not admissible. The President has control over
requests for alterations to Hansard. Following an incident in 1989 in which a
minister was censured by the Senate for deleting words appearing in the Daily
Hansard, the Senate resolved that the President should “enforce strictly the
rule that senators” corrections to Hansard must not have the effect of deleting
from the record words actually spoken in debate so as to alter the sense of
words spoken’ (7/4/1989, J.1522). In a subsequent statement, the President
informed the Senate of the procedures for dealing with requests for alterations
to the transcript or to the Daily Hansard. The President had asked that “where
there is any doubt as to whether the request comes within the established
rules”, the matter be referred to him (SD, 7/4/1989, p. 1186).
Although Hansard is
a record of debate, to save time or to illustrate a
point senators often ask
to incorporate material in Hansard. This material may include quotations,
documents, tables or graphs. As there is no provision in the standing orders
for the incorporation of material in Hansard, this is done by leave of the
Senate, that is, unanimous consent of senators present. Senators will generally
ascertain of senators from other parties whether there is likely to be
objection before seeking leave for incorporation.
For the expungement of matter from Hansard, see Chapter 10, Debate,
under Rules of debate.
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