Historically, the Parliament exists to govern the people, and the members of parliament are chosen by the people to do the job. Mostly, legislation starts in the lower house, goes through the various stages there and then comes to the upper house. Because of the differences in the electoral systems, members of the upper house include more representatives of minor parties and independents. This means that the response to legislation of the upper house is less predictable than the lower house.

Speeches
Speeches that are given in Parliament fall broadly into two categories - adjournment speeches and speeches regarding a piece of legislation or a 'bill'.

More to come...
You will be able to keep a much close eye on Parliament over the next few months as more information becomes easily accessible on this site. Parliamentary questions and a run-down on all of ACE's activities each month will be available in 2004.