Glossary

This section explains key parliamentary and government terms.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

An invitation for written submissions to help inform a committee inquiry or review.

A motion allowing a bill to continue into the next parliamentary session instead of falling.

A motion asking the House to end debate and move to a decision.

A legal instrument that brings part or all of an Act into force.

Regulations used to bring provisions of an Act into force.

A motion deciding how or where a bill will be sent for detailed committee scrutiny.

A stage where the entire House considers a bill in committee form, rather than sending it to a smaller committee.

A published report setting out a parliamentary committee’s findings and recommendations.

The stage where a bill is examined in detail and amendments can be considered line by line.

A motion used to test whether the government still has the support of the House of Commons.

A bill that brings together existing law on a subject into a more orderly single Act, usually without major policy change.

A legal right that protects original creative works from being copied or used without permission.

Sectors of the economy based on creative work, such as film, music, publishing, design and the arts.