Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Federation
?
??
1. The Federation quiz
a. How many British colonies were there in Australia before 1901?
b.Give one reason why the colonies decided to federate.
c. On what date did Australia become a nation?
d.Which was the last colony to join the federation?
e. At the time of federation which country did the colonies look to as the ‘mother country’?
f. What is the Australian Constitution?
g. How did the Australian people agree to federation?
h.What did the British Parliament do so Australia could federate?
i. What was the name of Australia’s first Prime Minister?
j. How many people watched the ceremony in Centennial Park when Australia was declared a nation?
2. Design a poster advertising
federation celebrations or a costume
to wear to the celebrations
4. Create a political cartoon or poster
encouraging people to vote ‘Yes’ or
‘No’ in the federation referendum
Remember to include the date, time, place and any
special symbols connected with federation on your
poster. If you create a costume, explain why you
chose this design.
To find out more about the arguments for and against
federation, check ‘Federation Fast Facts’ on the
Civics and Citizenship Education website:
For inspiration, take a look at federation images from
the National Library of Australia Trove website:
You could also explore ‘The Origins of the Australian
Parliament’ on the ‘For Peace, Order and Good
Government’ website:
www.tinyurl.com/trovefederation
www.tinyurl.com/CC-FedFacts
www.tinyurl.com/Sen-POGG
3. Imagine you are Queen Victoria
writing a letter to the Australian people
The letter will be read out during the
ceremony in Centennial Park on 1 January
1901, when Australia is declared a nation.
Think about what the Queen might say
about Australia’s future and about our
connection with Britain. How would
federation change her relationship with
Australia? Would the Queen see federation
as a happy or sad occasion?
To the people o
f Australi
a
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1
5. Organise a class debate on the topic of federation
You will need three people to form a team that will argue the reasons for
federation and three people to form a team that will argue the reasons
against federation. At the conclusion of the debate ask the class to vote
for the team with the most convincing argument.
To find out more about the arguments for and against federation, check
‘Federation Fast Facts’ on the Civics and Citizenship Education website:
www.tinyurl.com/CC-FedFacts
You could also explore the ‘For Peace, Order and Good
Government’ website:
www.tinyurl.com/Sen-POGG
6. Imagine it is 1 January 1901 and you are a
journalist who has been asked to write an article
about the federation parade and the ceremony in
Centennial Park in Sydney
8. Write a biography
about one of the
founders of federation
A number of key people were
influential in the federation of
Australia, such as Henry Parkes,
Edmund Barton, Catherine
Helen Spence, John Quick, Vida
Goldstein, Charles Kingston,
George Reid, Mary Lee, Edward
Braddon, Louisa Lawson,
Andrew Inglis Clark and Alfred
Deakin. Find out more about
one or more of these ‘founders’
and describe how they worked
towards federation.
Use ‘who, what, when where, why’ questions to collect information.
Australian Screen has film clips that show the federation parade and the
ceremony in Centennial Park. To view these clips follow the link below.
Check out the educational notes that accompany the clips.
www.tinyurl.com/asofederation
7. Investigate how
federation was celebrated
in your local area or state
George Reid
Alfred Deakin
To find out more search:
The Australian Dictionary of Biography:
www.tinyurl.com/Adb-ANU
Research the federation
celebrations in your town, city or
state. Write a report about what
happened and be sure to include
a photograph in your report.
To find out more check out:
National Library of Australia Trove website:
www.tinyurl.com/trovefederation
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2
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
The Australian Constitution
1. Create a Constitution quiz
Devise a quiz about the Australian Constitution. Write a list of ten questions and answers.
For example, you could ask questions like ‘How many changes to the Constitution have
Australians agreed to?’ Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
?
??
2. Describe the steps for changing the Australian Constitution
You may like to present your answer in dot points or as a flow chart.
3. Create a constitution for your classroom
Hold a class discussion to decide what should be included in the constitution. Remember, a
constitution is a set of rules about how something is governed. You could include rules about
how students should treat each other and how they should behave in the classroom.
Divide the class into groups and ask each group to make a colourful poster illustrating one of
the rules from the Classroom Constitution.
4. Design a book cover for the Australian Constitution
Imagine a children’s version of the Constitution is being created. Design
a cover for this Constitution that includes symbols or images that reflect
what the Constitution is about.
5. Discuss why Australians have agreed to so few
changes to the Australian Constitution
N O!
? ? Y ES !
Australia has held 19 referendums proposing 44 changes to
the Constitution. The Australian people have only agreed to 8 of
these changes.
In small groups research one of the 19 referendums. As a class,
discuss why you think Australians have agreed to so few changes to
the Constitution.
To find out more about referendums, check out this fact sheet on the
PEO website:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Refs
You can also check the ‘Referendums and plebiscites’ section on the
Australian Electoral Commission website:
www.tinyurl.com/AEC-refs
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3
6. Create a pamphlet or poster for the 1999
referendum to decide whether Australia should
become a republic
If the referendum had passed, the Queen and Governor-General would
have been replaced by a president appointed by the federal Parliament.
Decide whether you will promote a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote in the referendum.
You will need to do some research.
To help you, search for ‘Fast facts: The 1999 Referendum’ on The Civics
and Citizenship Education website:
www.tinyurl.com/CC-1999Ref
?
YES
OR NO
7. Describe how Australia’s system of
government was influenced by Britain
and the United States
Find out more in the Closer Look series on the
PEO website:
Parliament and Congress:
www.tinyurl.com/CL-Parl-Congress
A short history of Parliament:
www.tinyurl.com/CL-ParlHistory
Check ‘The Australian Nation: Constitution making’
on the Discovering Democracy website:
www.tinyurl.com/DD-Constitution
You could also check out this link on the Australian
Parliament House website:
‘For Peace, Order and Good Government’
www.tinyurl.com/Sen-POGG
8. Change section 51
Section 51 of the Australian Constitution lists the
federal Parliament’s law-making powers. Imagine
you could alter section 51 by adding, removing or
rewording a power. What would you change? Explain
your reasons.
To view section 51, follow this link to the Constitution
on the Australian Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/Powers-of-Parliament
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4
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Three levels of law-making
?
??
1. Create a three levels of law-making quiz
Devise a quiz about the three levels of law-making. Write a list of ten questions and answers.
For example, you could ask questions like ‘What are the three levels of government in
Australia?’ Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
2. Locate the three levels
of government
On a map of Australia locate and mark where the
following meet:
• Federal Parliament
• Your state or territory Parliament
3. Discover who represents you
Find the names of the people who represent the
area you live in:
• Mayor
• State/territory member of parliament
• Federal member of the House of Representatives
• Your local council.
• One or more of your federal senators
Illustrate your map with an image that represents
each of these levels of law-making. For example, you
could include a photograph of Parliament House or
draw the emblem of your local council.
Find or draw a picture of one of your representatives.
Add a speech bubble to your picture with their name,
position and an interesting fact about them.
To find out more about federal Parliament, check
these links on the PEO website:
Fact Sheet – Parliament House
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Parl-House
To find out which electorate you live in and the
name of your federal member, follow this link to the
Australian Electoral Commission website:
www.tinyurl.com/AEC-Electorate
Image Library – Parliament House
www.tinyurl.com/APH-images
To find out more about your federal member or the
senators who represent you, follow these links to the
Australian Parliament House website:
You could also check these links on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Members
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Senators
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Members
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Senators
To find out who represents you in your state or
territory parliament and local council, follow this link
on the PEO website:
To find out more about your state or territory
parliament and local councils, follow this link on
the PEO website:
www.tinyurl.com/PEO-Parliaments
www.tinyurl.com/PEO-Parliaments
Did you
know...
FEDERAL
STATE/TERRITORY
LOCAL
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5
4. Identify the responsibilities of the three levels of government
Find three newspaper articles that refer to services provided by one or more of the three
levels of government in Australia. As a class, sort the articles into three categories—federal,
state/territory and local. Discuss why each article relates to a particular level of government.
For example, an article about Australian troops fighting overseas relates to defence, which is
a federal government responsibility.
To find out more about the three levels of government, check this fact sheet on the
PEO website:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Three-Levels
Dear...
I am concerned
about...
Please act!
5. Write a letter to one of your representatives about
an issue of concern to your local community
What action could be taken about this issue? Identify whether this is
a local, state or federal matter. Address your letter to the appropriate
representative; for example, your local councillor or federal member of
parliament. Ask them to act on the issue you have identified.
6. Discuss whether Australia needs three levels of government.
Write a proposal that supports the current system or argues for change
Consider issues such as:
• How practical would it be for a state government to be in charge of local matters: for example,
library opening hours, policing dog registration or garbage collection?
• Are there some things that the federal government should be in charge of because they relate
to the whole nation: for example, education or health services?
For more information about the three levels of government, check this Closer Look paper on the
PEO website:
www.tinyurl.com/CL-Gov-Aust
SECTION 109
Inconsistency of laws
When a law of a State is
inconsistent with a law of the
Commonwealth, the latter
shall prevail, and the former
shall, to the extent of the
inconsistency, be invalid.
7. Explore why federal law can over-ride state law.
Section 109 of the Australian Constitution deals with inconsistencies
between federal and state law. The Constitution says that if the federal
Parliament and a state Parliament both pass laws on the same subject,
then the federal law over-rides the state law. Why do you think this
provision was included in the Constitution? Do you think the federal
Parliament should have this power? Why / why not?
8. Research an issue over which state/territory and
federal governments have clashed
Some examples are drug injecting rooms, euthanasia, same sex
marriage and mandatory prison sentencing. Should your state/territory
parliament make laws about issues such as these or should this be a
federal responsibility?
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6
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Electing members of parliament
1. Create an election quiz
Devise a quiz about electing members of parliament. Write a list of ten questions and
answers. For example, you could ask questions like ‘How often are federal elections held?’
Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
?
??
2. Write a speech or design a poster to convince Australian voters
to elect you to Parliament
You will have to decide on a slogan and think about what you want to express about yourself.
3. Imagine you are a journalist who
has been asked to write an article
about your federal electorate
4. Conduct a class election using
preferential voting. As a class, decide
on a theme or topic to vote on.
Use ‘who, what, when, where, why’ questions to
collect information. For example, ‘when was your
electorate established?’ and ‘who is your federal
member’? Alternatively, you could investigate a
senator who represents your state or territory.
For example, the election could be about favourite
bands, television programs, sports or school subjects.
Create a ballot paper listing the top three candidates.
To find out which electorate you live in and the
name of your federal member, follow this link to the
Australian Electoral Commission website:
www.tinyurl.com/AEC-Electorate
To find out more about your federal member or the
senators who represent you, follow these links to the
Australian Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Members
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Senators
VOTE
1
Each student receives one ballot paper. Number the
candidates from one to three in order of your choice.
Make sure you number all three boxes. Place your
folded ballot paper in a ballot box. The vote should be
conducted in secret.
Use the preferential voting system to discover the
results of your class election.
To find out how an election is conducted using
preferential voting, look at ‘How Preferential Voting
Works’ on p.8 of Get Parliament or check this link on
the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website:
www.tinyurl.com/HoRCountVote
GP
Get Voting is an AEC resource
that helps you run a free and
fair election in the classroom.
Download it at:
www.tinyurl.com/AECGetVote
BALLOT PA
P
ER
Number the
boxes
from 1 to 3
in the
order of your
choice.
Cricket
Netball
S occer
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7
5. Devise a campaign encouraging
18 year olds to enrol to vote
Before the 2010 federal election, nearly one million
Australians aged between 18 and 24 were not
enrolled to vote. How would you convince young
Australians to have a say about who runs the country?
During the 2010 federal election the Australian
Electoral Commission ran a video competition called
‘Famous People Vote Too’. You could check out the
entries by doing an internet search.
Enrol
Vote
to
6. Lowering the voting age
It has been suggested that the voting age be lowered from 18 to 16.
Should 16 and 17 year olds have the right to vote? Give reasons for
your answer.
There has been a lot of discussion about lowering the voting age in
Australia. Google the topic to find out more.
7. Compulsory voting
Australia is one of the few countries in the world where voting is
compulsory. This means all eligible Australians must vote at federal
elections. Discuss the pros and cons of compulsory voting.
To find out more about compulsory voting, check out the ‘Voting’ section
on the Australian Electoral Commission site:
www.aec.gov.au/Voting
8. The impact of social media on federal
election campaigns
Social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are increasingly
being used by political parties to get their message out to voters. Has this
affected the way election campaigns are run? Does social networking
allow parties to engage more directly with the community?
To find out more do a search on the internet.
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8
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
The houses of Parliament
1. Create a Parliament quiz
Devise a quiz about the two houses of Parliament. Write a list of ten questions and answers.
For example, you could ask questions like ‘What is the colour of the Senate chamber?’
Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
?
??
2. Create a model of the House of Representatives
or Senate chamber
4. Design your own
chamber
Make a model of one of the chambers. Include labels to show where important
people sit in the chamber (see pages 10–11 in Get Parliament). You could also
indicate where your federal member sits in the House of Representatives or
where one of your state or territory senators sits in the Senate.
Imagine you are an architect
who has been asked to design
a new chamber for either the
House of Representatives or the
Senate. The current chambers
are modelled on the British
Parliament; however, you might
like to dispense with tradition and
create a completely new look for
the Australian Parliament.
For information about the chambers, check these fact sheets on the
Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) website:
House of Representatives
www.tinyurl.com/FS-HoR
Senate
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Senate
You can find images of the two chambers in the PEO’s Image Library:
www.tinyurl.com/PEO-Images
To view the seating plans for the House of Representatives and Senate,
follow these links to the Australian Parliament House website:
Justify your design and explain
what it symbolises about
our Parliament.
www.tinyurl.com/HoR-SeatPlan
www.tinyurl.com/Sen-Seatplan
3. Symbols of the Parliament
Each chamber has important
symbols such as the Mace, Black
Rod and Despatch Boxes. Draw
or make a model of one of these,
and include information about its
history and significance.
To find out more, check these links
on the PEO website:
Mace:
PEO fact sheet – Mace:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Mace
PEO Image Library – House of
Representatives:
Black Rod:
PEO fact sheet – Usher of the Black Rod:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-BlackRod
PEO Image Library – Senate:
www.tinyurl.com/Images-Senate
and scroll down to ‘Chamber’.
Despatch Box:
PEO fact sheet – Despatch Box:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-DespatchBox
You could also check
Signatures of Oz:
www.tinyurl.com/PEO-Kidsview
www.tinyurl.com/Images-House
and scroll down to ‘Chamber’.
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9
5. List five interesting facts about one
or more of the non-elected officers in
either chamber
Check out these links on the PEO and Australian
Parliament House websites:
PEO fact sheets
www.tinyurl.com/ParlFS
Parliament NOW Who’s Who
www.tinyurl.com/PEO-ParlNOW
Quick Answers: People in Parliament
www.tinyurl.com/QA-People-In-Parl
Senate Briefs:
The Clerk of the Senate
www.tinyurl.com/SB15-Clerk
Usher of the Black Rod
www.tinyurl.com/SB16-Usher
House of Representatives Infosheet 21:
The Clerk and other officials
www.tinyurl.com/Infosheet21
6. The Speaker and the President
Investigate the role of the Speaker and the President.
What does each involve? Write a report that includes
information about how they are chosen and the
history of the position.
Check out these PEO fact sheets:
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Speaker
The President of the Senate
www.tinyurl.com/FS-President
You could also check these links on the Australian
Parliament House and UK Parliament websites:
www.tinyurl.com/APHspeaker
www.tinyurl.com/APHpresident
www.tinyurl.com/UKparlspeaker
7. Is the Senate still the states’ house?
The drafters of the Australian Constitution wanted all
states to have equal representation in the Senate to
make sure that the federal Parliament was not
dominated by states with larger populations. Does the
Senate just represent the states and territories or does
it have a broader role? Are senators more likely to vote
with their party rather than with their state or territory?
8. Compare and contrast the two
chambers in the Australian Parliament
and the British Parliament
You may like to focus on some or all of the following:
• the composition of each chamber
• chamber colours
• officers in the chamber such as the Clerks,
Usher of the Black Rod and Serjeant-at-Arms
• some of the traditions or practices we have adopted
from the British Parliament and whether it is
important that these traditions be maintained.
To begin your research, check these links on the
PEO website:
Closer Look: A short history of Parliament
www.tinyurl.com/CL-ParlHistory
Fact sheets
www.tinyurl.com/ParlFS
You can also find more information by exploring other
sections of the PEO and UK Parliament websites:
www.peo.gov.au
www.parliament.uk
Northern
Territory
2 senators
Western Australia
12 senators
Queensland
12 senators
South Australia
12 senators
New South Wales
12 senators
Check out this PEO fact sheet on Political Parties:
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Pol-Parties
and this Senate brief on the Role of the Senate:
www.tinyurl.com/SenBrief10
Victoria
12 senators
This activity sheet is designed for use with Get Parliament, available from www.peo.gov.au
Australian
Capital
Territory
2 senators
Tasmania
12 senators
10
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Representation and forming government
1. Create a parliamentary quiz
Devise a quiz about representation and forming government. Write a list of ten questions and
answers. For example, you could ask questions like ‘To stay in power, the government needs
the support of how many members in the House of Representatives?’ Find a partner and take
it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
2. How do members of parliament
represent Australians?
4. Investigate the role of one
government minister
Look at the sample of an MP’s diary in Get Parliament.
Describe how each of the appointments involves
representation.
Write a report that includes:
?
??
1.The name of the minister
2.The portfolio for which they are responsible
3.The name and role of the shadow minister
4.Recent issues or events relating to the portfolio.
For a list of ministers and shadow ministers, follow this
link on the Australian Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Members
and select ‘Ministry List’ and ‘Shadow Ministry’.
To find out more about the role of ministers and
shadow ministers, check this PEO fact sheet:
3. Create a political party
Political parties are groups of people who share
similar ideas about how to govern the country. As
a class, brainstorm a list of important issues facing
Australia today. Individually, rank them in order of
importance and then compare your list with others
in the class. Form a political party with those who
shared similar rankings or ideas.
Create a name, logo and slogan that tells people about
your party and what you represent. For inspiration,
check out the party logos on the PEO website:
www.tinyurl.com/Images-Parliament
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Ministers
Use recent news articles or ministerial speeches
to find out about issues relating to the minister’s
portfolio. You can find ministerial speeches by using
the search function at:
www.aph.gov.au
5. Explore the role of the opposition as
the alternative government
The opposition is the largest party (or coalition) that is
not in government. The opposition wants voters to see
it as the alternative government. How does it fulfil this
role? Use recent news articles to provide examples of
the work of the opposition.
To find out more about the role of the opposition,
check this link on the Australian Parliament
House website:
www.tinyurl.com/Infosheet19
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11
6. Balance of power
THE SENATE CHAMBER
In the Senate, crossbench senators often hold ‘the
balance of power’. Create a presentation to explain
the balance of power and how it can affect the work of
the government.
To find out more about crossbench senators, check
out these links on the PEO and Australian Parliament
House websites:
PEO fact sheet – Independents
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Independent
Senate Brief – The Role of the Senate
www.tinyurl.com/SenBrief10
OPPOSITION
SENATORS
GOVERNMENT
SENATORS
7. Representation
Write a 250–500 word essay or hold a debate about
this statement:
Representation is the most important work
of Parliament.
To find out more, check this Infosheet on the
Australian Parliament House website:
CROSSBENCH
SENATORS
The work of a Member of Parliament
www.tinyurl.com/Infosheet15
8. Crossing the floor
Imagine you are a member of parliament deciding
if you should support your party in voting on a
controversial issue. What are the advantages or
disadvantages of crossing the floor? Draw up a chart
listing these.
To find out more about crossing the floor, check
these links on the PEO and Australian Parliament
House websites:
PEO fact sheet – Crossing the floor
www.tinyurl.com/FS-CrossFloor
Parliamentary Library – Crossing the floor in the Federal
Parliament 1950 – August 2004
www.tinyurl.com/APHlib-Crossingfloor
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12
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
?? ??
Making laws
1. Create a law-making quiz
Devise a quiz about making laws. Write a list of ten questions and
answers. For example, you could ask questions like ‘What is a bill?’
Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
2. Imagine you are a member of parliament
What new law would you like to make and why? Write the title of your bill
(proposed law) and an explanation of why it is needed.
3. Write a speech to introduce a bill to ban junk food
advertising on television
Imagine you are the Minister for Health introducing the bill into Parliament
and you need to convince the Parliament to pass this bill. Come up with
reasons to ban junk food advertising. Alternatively, you could imagine that
you are the Shadow Minister for Health either arguing against the bill or
proposing an amendment (change) to make it a better bill.
4. Run a law-making role-play
As a class, run a role-play to pass a bill through Parliament.
“Mr Speaker,
I would like to
introduce a Bill
for an Act...”
5. Explore why
Parliament needs to
make laws
• Debate and then vote on the bill.
Think about why we have laws
and, as a class, discuss how laws
help to manage or improve our
society. Imagine what our nation
would be like if we didn’t have
laws. You might like to consider
how Australian laws have changed
since federation.
For information about how to run a role-play, check these lesson plans on
the PEO website:
To find out more about laws,
check out these websites:
Law-making: House of Representatives
Australian Parliament House: Bills
• Ask the class to decide on a topic for the bill; for example, you could
choose a current issue or it could be a hypothetical topic such as a bill
to ban homework.
• Divide the class into government, opposition and minor parties/
Independents.
• Ask the government to introduce the bill.
www.tinyurl.com/role-play-Reps
Law-making: The Senate
www.tinyurl.com/role-play-Senate
You might like to work with another class, with one class taking on the role
of the House of Representatives and the other acting as the Senate.
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Bills-Laws-Search
Department of Social Security:
Values and Law
www.tinyurl.com/DSS-Values-and-law
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13
6. Passing a bill in Parliament
A bill needs to pass through both houses of Parliament to become law.
What would happen if there was only one chamber? Think about the role
of the Senate and why Australia decided to have a bicameral Parliament,
which means it consists of two houses. Write a brief summary of
your thoughts.
For more information check out this Senate brief on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/SenBrief10
7. Investigate a bill currently before the Parliament
To find out about bills currently before the Parliament, follow this link on
the Australian Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Bills-Laws-Search
and click on ‘Bills before Parliament’.
Select a bill and write a report that includes:
• The title of the bill.
• The purpose of the bill (you will find this in the section called
‘explanatory memoranda’).
• Who introduced the bill into Parliament.
• Who has spoken about the bill and what was said for or against the bill.
8. Compare law-making in Australia and the
United States
Australia’s system of governance was based partly on the United States
model. Compare the similarities and differences in the two law-making
systems. Are there advantages or disadvantages in either system?
Conduct a class discussion.
To start your research, check out these links:
Closer Look – Parliament and Congress
VS
www.tinyurl.com/CL-Parl-Congress
United States House of Representatives – The Legislative Process
www.tinyurl.com/US-HoR-Lawmaking
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14
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Accountability
1. Create an accountability quiz
Devise a quiz about how the Parliament keeps the government accountable. Write a list of
ten questions and answers. For example, you could ask questions like ‘What is Hansard?’
Find a partner and take it in turns to answer each other’s questions.
2. Discuss the ways in which the opposition and
minor parties and Independents closely examine
the work of the government
?
??
To find out more, check these links on the PEO website:
Quick Answers: Parliament and Governance
www.tinyurl.com/QA-Parl-Gov
Fact sheets:
Question Time
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Quest-Time
Senate Estimates
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Estimates
Parliamentary Committees
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Committees
Videos:
Question Time
www.tinyurl.com/QTime-video
Parliamentary Committees
www.tinyurl.com/Committees-video
3. Draw a political cartoon for a daily newspaper
Political cartoons use satire to draw attention to the actions of the
Parliament. Create your own cartoon that comments on a recent event
in Parliament, for example something said by a member of parliament
or a new policy announced by one of the political parties.
For inspiration, look at examples in major daily newspapers or check
out ‘Behind the Lines: the year’s best political cartoons’. Find links
to the ‘Behind the Lines’ exhibitions on the Museum of Australian
Democracy website:
www.moadoph.gov.au/websites
4. Research the role
and history of Hansard
Hansard reporters provide a
written record of what is said
in Parliament. Find out more
about the history of Hansard
and explain in your report how
Hansard plays a part in keeping
the Parliament accountable.
To find out more about Hansard,
check these links on the UK
Parliament and PEO websites:
Official report
www.tinyurl.com/UKParl-Hansard
PEO fact sheet – Records of the
Parliament
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Record
You can also find links to the ‘Behind the Lines’ exhibitions from 2003
to 2010 on the National Museum of Australia website:
www.tinyurl.com/NMA-BTL-exhibitions
This activity sheet is designed for use with Get Parliament, available from www.peo.gov.au
15
5. Explore how the
Parliament closely
investigates the work of
the government
6. Research a parliamentary committee
You could watch Question Time in
the House of Representatives and/
or a Senate committee of inquiry.
• an inquiry that it is undertaking
Discuss with the class:
• any recommendations made by the committee.
Write a report on a parliamentary committee. Include in your report:
• the name of the committee and whether it is a Senate, House or
Joint committee
• a summary of the terms of reference of the inquiry (what the committee
is investigating)
• What is the purpose of Question
Time or a Senate committee?
• How does it work?
• Who asks the questions
and why?
• How effective was it in
examining the actions of the
government or investigating
an issue?
Compare the processes of
Question Time and the Senate
committee. How are they similar
or different?
You can watch replays of Question
Time by following this link to About
the House TV on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/RepsTV
You can watch live broadcasts and
recordings of Senate committees
by following this link to Watch
Parliament on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/Watch-APH
Follow these links on the PEO
website to find out more about
Question Time and Committees:
Fact sheet – Question Time
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Quest-Time
Video – Question Time
www.tinyurl.com/QTime-video
Fact sheet – Parliamentary committees
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Committees
To find out more about committees, follow this link on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/APH-Bus-Coms
Current inquiries and recent reports are listed by subject matter
and committee.
7. Scrutinising the media
The media play a role in informing the public about the Parliament
and keeping the government accountable. Find three news reports
(in newspapers, on TV, radio or an internet news service) about an issue
currently before the Parliament; for example, a report about a new bill or
an announcement made by either the government or the opposition.
Compare the way this issue is covered in different types of media. Are
there any differences in the way it is reported? Do you think the media can
influence public opinion? If so, is this a good or a bad thing?
8. Democracy vs dictatorship
Hold a class discussion or debate to
compare democracy and dictatorship.
How does scrutiny of democratic leaders
or dictators differ? Are there advantages
or disadvantages to each system
of governance?
VS
Video – About Parliament –
Parliamentary Committees
www.tinyurl.com/Coms-video
This activity sheet is designed for use with Get Parliament, available from www.peo.gov.au
16
Get Parliament
ACTIVITY SHEETS
Get involved
1. Create a get involved quiz
Write a list of ten questions and answers. For example you could ask questions like
‘How many petitions are presented to the Parliament each year?’ Find a partner and take it
in turns to answer each other’s questions.
2. Letters to the editor
?
??
Letters to the editor are one way the public can comment on current
issues. Collect three letters to the editor from newspapers. What are they
about? How well does each letter make its argument? Is it an issue that
may be dealt with by Parliament?
Write your own letter to the editor of a daily newspaper about a local or
national issue that you are concerned about.
To the Honourable
President and
members of the
Senate in Parliament
assembled
The petition of the
undersigned shows...
Your petitioners ask/request
that the Senate...
Name
1. John Smith
2. Jennifer Smith
3. Tony Stars
4. Stacy Stars
5. Jane Citizen
6. Steven Citizen
7. Suzie Alvin
8. Tony Balony
9. Tori Balony
10.Albert Talbert
11. Sam Bobam
12. Alberta Bobam
13.Johnny Begood
14.Jasmine Begood
15.Tom Domdom
16.Delila Domdom
17. John James
18.Jeremy Toole
19. Ava Shine
Address
Signature
12 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 12 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 19 Moon St, Starville Tas, 1234 19 Moon St, Starville Tas, 1234 58 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 58 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 24 Saturn Ave, Happyville Tas, 1234 15 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 15 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 29 Moon St, Starville Tas, 1234 6 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 6 Sunshine Rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 17 Saturn Ave, Happyville Tas, 1234 17 Saturn Ave, Happyville Tas, 1234 3 Sunshine rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 3 Sunshine rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 20 Sunshine rd, Happyville Tas, 1234 68 Moon St, Starville Tas, 1234 72 Moon St, Starville Tas, 1234 3. Have your say
As a class, brainstorm ways you can get involved in national or
community issues.
Discuss what might be the most effective way to:
• Get a response from Parliament
• Raise public awareness
• Create media attention
• Target young people
• Change people’s behaviour.
To find out more about how to get involved, follow this link:
www.tinyurl.com/getinvolved-video
4. Create your own petition
As a class, brainstorm community issues that you are concerned
about. In small groups, write a petition asking the Senate or House of
Representatives to take action on one of these issues.
To find out how you should set out the petition follow these links on the
Australian Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/Senatepetitions
www.tinyurl.com/Housepetitions
This activity sheet is designed for use with Get Parliament, available from www.peo.gov.au
17
5. Class committee of inquiry
Hold a class committee of inquiry to investigate
an issue in your school.
• Divide the class into committee members, witness groups (people who
present evidence to the committee) and journalists.
• Decide on the terms of reference (what the committee is investigating).
• After the inquiry, ask the committee to present a list of
recommendations to the class.
• Ask the journalists to write and present a report about the inquiry and
the committee’s findings.
To find out more about committees, check these links on the PEO and
Australian Parliament House websites:
PEO fact sheet – Parliamentary Committees
www.tinyurl.com/FS-Committees
APH Infosheet 4 – Committees
Senate brief 4 – Senate Committees
www.tinyurl.com/SB4-Committees
For information about how to run a committee role-play, follow this link:
www.tinyurl.com/Role-play-Com
6. Voting rights
In 1901, when Australia federated, not everyone had the right to vote at
federal elections. For example, many women and Indigenous people were
not eligible to vote. Research an aspect of Australia’s electoral history and
present your findings to the class. Why do you think people have fought
for the right to vote?
WOMEN
Explore alternative ways for the
Parliament to engage with young
people. Explain why these might
be effective. Find examples,
such as members of parliament
using social media, to illustrate
your argument.
8. Parliamentary
privilege
www.tinyurl.com/Infosheet4
OR
VOTES F
7. Parliament and you
VOTE
INDI S FOR
GE
Is it reasonable that parliamentary
privilege allows members of
parliament to speak freely
in Parliament? Write a short
essay examining the concept of
parliamentary privilege, including
its advantages and disadvantages.
For more information about
parliamentary privilege, check
this link on the Australian
Parliament House website:
www.tinyurl.com/Infosheet5
PEO NOUS
PLE
To find out more about Australians and the vote, check out this
link about Australian electoral history on the Australian Electoral
Commission website:
www.tinyurl.com/AEC-history
This activity sheet is designed for use with Get Parliament, available from www.peo.gov.au
18