|
|
|
|
Hansard
is the official report of the debates of a Legislature or a
Parliament and its committees. It is named after the Hansard family, the printers who published the
first official record of the British parliamentary debates in the
19th century. Canada adopted a Hansard
in 1880, and Alberta adopted one in
1972.
Although technology has changed production
methods, Hansard editors are still largely directed by the
editorial
guidelines established back in the 19th century. Research is a crucial part of Hansard
production. Any
time a Member mentions the name of a person, book, place, school, or
the like, researchers must verify it. The final edited Hansard is
available within about 12 hours of a sitting. An average afternoon
issue contains over 30,000 words.
Alberta Hansard provides a yearly index that contains
a subject and a speaker list for each session of the Legislature. Individual copies of or subscriptions
to Hansard can be requested by phoning Communications
Services at (780) 427-2826.
|
