OUR HANSARD PROCESS

For more than a century the basic system of pen shorthand reporters dictating to typists using manual typewriters remained unchanged. The use of electric typewriters was the first step in the progressive adoption of new technology. The next step occurred after word processors were introduced. Today our pen reporters use voice recognition technology to dictate directly to computers.

Since 1987 we have also appointed reporters who use Stenograph and Palantype machine shorthand. Machine shorthand allows the production of a computer-assisted transcript [CAT] without the reporter having to dictate to a word processing operator or a voice recognition system.

When two Houses, we roster a team of seven reporters to report the proceedings of each House. Similarly, the subeditors form two teams. Reporters work in the House for 10 minutes at a time, commonly referred to as a "turn", and subeditors work in the House for 30 minutes at a time.

The subeditors subsequently edit the turns of the three reporters who were in the House with them, and then process the turns through the Hansard network production system. The last subeditor on each House electronically collates the transcript and posts it on our Intranet site, where it is automatically replicated to the Internet. The subeditor also sends an electronic copy to Parliamentary Printing Services to print the daily proof, which is available early next morning both in hard copy and on the Parliament's Intranet and Internet web sites.

The next day the reporters and the subeditors proofread the daily proof and check it against the Minutes and Votes of the respective Houses. Members have two days after giving their speech in which to submit their corrections. The corrected pamphlet is published about a week after the sitting, and bound volumes are published yearly.

Debates

Parliamentary Debates [ Hansard ] records are available online at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au starting from July 1991 (the 50th Parliament). Hansard for previous parliaments is available in bound volumes.

The proceedings of each sitting day of both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council may be viewed on the Internet as either separate articles representing an item of business or as full text. For ease of use an index has been set up for articles: by date, by subject matter, by name of member making the speech, and by bill name. Second reading speeches on bills are also linked, as is information tracking the progress of bills through both Houses.

During the sittings of Parliament the proof version of the day's Hansard in full text format is available generally within a few hours of the adjournment of the Parliament. The article version is available from 10.00 o'clock the next morning.