In summary:

• Work practices
• Hansard report
• Personal requirements
• Employment opportunities
• Links

Work practices

Hansard reporters record, transcribe, edit and prepare for publication the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament, their committees, and ministerial and other conferences. Reporters work in teams of between seven and 10 reporters and write for 10 minutes at a time. A number of methods are used to produce the transcript:

• stenograph machine writers dictate their shorthand to typists or use computer assisted transcription (CAT) software; and
• Pitman shorthand writers dictate their shorthand to typists or use voice recognition technology.

Hansard report

The transcript of the proceedings is known as Hansard, the family name of those instrumental in the establishment of parliamentary reporting in the late eighteenth century in Britain. The report must be accurate and of an acceptable literary standard. The rational and substantially verbatim report reflects the differences between spoken and written English. Hansard is produced in accordance with the following definition expounded in Sir Erskine May’s Parliamentary Practice:

. . . though not strictly verbatim, is substantially the verbatim report, with repetitions and redundancies omitted, and with obvious mistakes corrected, but which . . . leaves out nothing that adds to the meaning of the speech or illustrates the argument.

Hansard reporters and editors are constantly faced with the decision of when a rational and substantially verbatim report or an entirely verbatim report is appropriate, depending on the sensitivity of a situation. With increasing media attention, that is more often of concern to the reporter. An important reporting skill is using your knowledge of past and current affairs in making such decisions in the transition between spoken and written English.

Members may correct errors in the transcript, but may not introduce new material to or change the substance of their speeches.

The Hansard staff prepares for publication daily, weekly and bound volumes of the debates. The debates are also available on the Internet and on CD. Hansard is accessed by members of Parliament and their staff, government departments, courts and members of the legal profession, the media, libraries, researchers and historians. Hansard reporters also index the parliamentary debates by topic and speaker.

Personal requirements

Hansard reporters must have proven high-speed shorthand skills (200 words per minute), a sound knowledge of the English language and its structure, a good general knowledge and well-developed research skills. They must be able to work long hours under pressure and to meet strict deadlines. Reporters must also display self-motivation and initiative.

Employment opportunities

In Australia Hansard reporters are employed by the federal parliament and the parliaments of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Employment opportunities exist in most commonwealth parliaments, including parliaments in the United Kingdom and Canada. Details of some such organisations are listed on the government contacts page.

There is scope for promotion to editorial and management positions within each Hansard staff.

Links

See the Links page for government-specific links.

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