Common terms
- A Bill that has been passed by Parliament, received Royal Assent, and become law.
- A debate held at the end of each sitting day in Parliament in which Members can raise a matter of government administration for a minister’s attention; so called because it takes place on the motion to adjourn the House for the day.
- Public service bodies that are established in relation to a department by the Governor in Council.
- Bill passed annually that provides the key mechanism through which Parliament controls the expenditure of public money.
- Approval given by Cabinet to draft a Bill in accordance with drafting instructions.
- A Parliament that has two Houses (an Upper House and a Lower House).
- A proposed law (or statute or piece of legislation) that is introduced into Parliament but has not yet been passed. If passed and granted Royal Assent, it becomes an Act.
- A submission seeking Cabinet approval of a Bill before it is introduced to Parliament.
- The principal decision-making body of the Victorian government. It consists of the Premier and all ministers.
- A Cabinet Committee focuses on a particular area such as economic development, social development or the environment.
- A document prepared for Cabinet’s consideration.
- The law that defines the powers and responsibilities of the Parliament of Victoria, the executive and the judiciary.
- The formal term for Her Majesty, used especially in the context of the Queen of Australia exercising her legal powers.
- Departments are the central policy offices and program administrators for the government. The Governor in Council establishes departments by Order published in the Government Gazette.
- The primary contact between a minister’s office and the department.
- Those from within government who define and implement policy, and who are answerable to Parliament for their administration.
- The Executive Council consists of all ministers.
- The General Order allocates responsibility for administration of Acts of Parliament to ministers.
- The party or group of parties (coalition) that enjoys the support of the majority of Members of the Legislative Assembly.
- The Victorian Government Gazette provides official notification of decisions or actions taken by, or information from, the Governor of Victoria, government authorities, government departments, local councils, companies and individuals.
- The Crown’s representative in Victoria. The Governor generally exercises power on the advice of the Premier.
- Refers to when the Governor is given advice in the presence of the Executive Council.
- The written record of parliamentary debates; also a work unit within the Department of Parliamentary Services that produces the written record.
- A branch of government that has the authority to interpret and apply the law, adjudicate legal disputes and administer justice.
- The Lower House of the Parliament of Victoria.
- The Upper House of the Parliament of Victoria.
- Laws enacted by a Legislature or Parliament.
- The expression ‘machinery of government’ has long been used to refer to the allocation and reallocation of functions between departments and ministers. In Victoria, machinery of government matters are the sole responsibility of the Premier.
- A Member of the government responsible for one or more government departments. A minister is also a member of Cabinet and the Executive Council.
- Outcomes refer to the government’s desired or intended impacts or effects on the community.
- Outputs are goods or services produced or delivered by, or on behalf of, a department or public entity.
- The Parliament of Victoria consists of the Governor, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. The term also refers to the two Houses.
- A parliamentary committee consists of a group of Members of Parliament appointed by one or both Houses of Parliament. The main purpose of parliamentary committees is to conduct inquiries into specified matters and report the findings to Parliament.
- A Parliamentary Secretary is a Member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with their duties.
- The specific policy responsibilities that a minister oversees.
- Head of government and elected leader of the party or parties with a majority in the Legislative Assembly.
- The suspension of a parliamentary session.
- Entities that undertake a public function or are owned by government. A public entity is established by an Act of Parliament, Governor in Council or a minister. In the case of a body corporate, at least one half of the directors are appointed by the Governor in Council or a minister. They undertake a wide range of advisory, service delivery, regulatory and other functions.
- Public records include any records made or received by a person employed in a public office in the course of their duties, or by a court or person acting judicially in Victoria.
- The public sector comprises the public service, public entities and special bodies.
- Persons employed under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004, including public service bodies such as departments, and public entities and special bodies that employ staff under Part 3.
- Defined under the Public Administration Act to mean a department, administrative office, or the Victorian Public Sector Commission.
- Head of a department, administrative office or the Victorian Public Sector Commissioner.
- A political system in which the government must be supported by a Parliament which is itself answerable to the community, usually through the election process.
- The last stage in the process by which a Bill becomes an Act; the Governor, representing the Queen, gives it formal approval.
- The stage in Parliament during which a Bill is debated.
- A group of Members of Parliament that considers matters referred to it and reports its findings to Parliament.
- Refers to the three separate branches of government: the Parliament, executive and judiciary.
- Public bodies listed in section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 or declared to be a special body by the Governor in Council.
- Grants made by the Commonwealth to state and territory governments subject to terms and conditions laid down by the Commonwealth, generally with a view to ensuring that Commonwealth policy objectives (or national objectives agreed between the Commonwealth and the states) are met.
- Standing committees operate throughout the life of a Parliament.
- Written questions from Members of Parliament to a minister that require a detailed written response.
- Oral questions asked directly of the Premier or a minister during Question Time.
- The system of government that exists in the United Kingdom and which has been copied, to a greater or lesser extent, by many Commonwealth countries; so called because it is named after the precinct Westminster where the House of Commons and the House of Lords meet.
Acronyms
AIP Approval in Principle
BAC Bill at Cabinet
DLO Department Liaison Officer
ERC Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet
FOI Freedom of Information
MOG Machinery of government
NFP Not-for-Profit
OCPC Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel
OH&S Occupational Health and Safety
PAEC Public Accounts and Estimates Committee
PPP Public Private Partnership
PPQ Possible Parliamentary Question
PROV Public Record Office Victoria
VCAT Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
VEC Victorian Electoral Commission
VGPB Victorian Government Purchasing Board
VPS Victorian Public Service
VPSC Victorian Public Sector Commission
WOVG Whole of Victorian Government