Who is parliament

ABC Education. Opening credits showing animated shapes with the words, Understand, Teach, Book, Connect. The Parliamentary Education Office logo. Views of the outside of Australian Parliament House.

Footage of the House of Representatives at work. Footage of members and senators in a committee hearing. Animated graphic showing Parliament House, a silhouette of the Queen, the letters GG underlined by a laurel, a red U shape and a green U shape. Narrator: At election time, Australians vote to send a person from their local region, known as an electorate, to represent them in the House of Representatives.

They also vote to send people from their state or territory to represent them in the Senate. Animated graphic of the House of Representatives showing more than half the seats belonging to the government. Narrator: The party or coalition of parties with the support of a majority of members in the House of Representatives forms the government.

Narrator: One of the most important things Parliament does is to make new laws or change existing ones. A proposal to change a law, or make a new one, is called a bill. Parliament considers over bills each year. Before it can become a law, a bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament. Most bills are introduced in the National Assembly, but certain bills that affect provinces may be introduced in the NCOP.

Once it has been introduced, a bill is referred to the relevant committee. If there is much public interest in a bill, the committee may organise public hearings.

Once the committee has finalised its deliberations on a bill, it reports to the corresponding House. After the House has debated the bill, it takes a decision on whether to pass the bill.

A bill could be referred back to the committee for further work before the House takes a decision. Once the first House has agreed and passed a bill, it is then referred to the other House.

Once the President has signed a bill passed by the Houses, it becomes an Act of Parliament — a law of the land. Follow our illustrated guide for a simple explanation of how a law is made. Read the illustrated guide now. Learn more about the Constitutional Court by visiting www. Learn more about the administration of justice by visiting www. The true test of democracy is the extent to which Parliament can ensure that government remains answerable to the people. Parliament and its Committees have powers to summon any person or institution to give evidence or produce documents, and to report to them.

The Constitution states that Parliament has the power to conduct oversight of all organs of state, including those at provincial and local government level.

Oversight is a function granted by the Constitution to Parliament to monitor and oversee government actions. By overseeing the actions of government, Parliament is able to ensure that service delivery takes place, so that all citizens can live a better quality life.

The Constitution states that the National Assembly is elected to represent the people and to ensure government by the people under the Constitution.

It does this by:. The National Council of Provinces represents the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government.

Parliamentary committees are established as instruments of the Houses in terms of the Constitution to facilitate oversight and monitor the government. One of the most important aspects of the oversight function is the consideration by committees of annual reports of organs of State, and reports of the Auditor-General.

Depending on the purpose of the oversight, the Committee will either request a briefing from the organ of State or visit it for fact-finding. Click here to access this information in all the official languages of South Africa. Find out more about the South African government by going to www. Another vital function of Parliament is to encourage and facilitate participation from you, the people, in the process of Parliament.

In fact, the constitution says that there must be public participation in what goes on in Parliament. So make sure you make your voice heard in Parliament and in the provincial legislatures. Parliament provides a national forum for the public consideration of issues and facilitates the involvement of the public in the processes of Parliament.

The access to the institution and its members and information provided to the public remain a vital focus of Parliament. Public participation activities include the People's Assembly, the Taking Parliament to the People programme, the Women's Parliament and the Youth Parliament sectoral parliaments , public hearings, outreach programmes, radio programmes and broadcasts , television broadcasts , business and educational publications, newsletters , promotional material, the website, Facebook , Twitter and YouTube.

Since the advent of democracy in it has become possible for all citizens to get involved in what is happening in Parliament. It is up to each of us to make full use of all the opportunities we have to try to influence the decisions that our political representatives make at national, provincial and local level.

Parliament plays a major role in facilitating co-operative government by working with the other arms of government in the discharge of certain statutory functions as prescribed in legislation, the appointment of public office bearers and approving instruments such as international agreements.

A range of functions and duties are assigned to Parliament in the Constitution and in many other laws that have been placed on the statute book over the years. Most of these functions concern the appointment and dismissal of office bearers of the institutions supporting democracy Chapter 9 of the Constitution such as the Auditor-General, Public Protector, various commissions and also other boards and councils.

However, the functions also include obligations as diverse as the ratification of international protocols and conventions; determining the President's salary and allowances; receiving and considering quarterly reports on all conventional arms exports; confirming the provisional suspension of magistrates; approving the salaries, allowances and benefits of magistrates and judges, as determined by the President; consenting to the extension of the operation of section of the Criminal Law Amendment Act; agreeing to the excision of land from a national park; and approving proposals for leasing of sea space in terms of the Sea-Shore Act.

Parliamentary international relations is the continuation of a political process and dialogue among legislatures of the world.

At different international meetings, members of Parliament MPs and presiding officers have the opportunity to exchange views with their counterparts from other countries on a range of international challenges. The Parliament of South Africa participates in several international forums and organisations, including the -.

Parliament has identified four guidelines that inform its international relations programme of action:. This includes engaging proactively with some of the legislative assemblies of countries where the South African government has been involved in peace building efforts. The more powerful part of Parliament is the National Council, which is elected directly by popular vote. Not so the second chamber, the Federal Council.

The Tasks of Parliament Seeking solutions, adopting laws, keeping tabs on the government. Who Works in Parliament?