Office of the Clerk

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Date:
1 February 2011
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Reporting Services

Hansard

The major output from Reporting Services is Hansard, the written report of parliamentary debates. Staff transcribe the speeches made by members, circulate them in draft to members of the House for correction, and then compile them into a report of the entire day’s proceedings. An uncorrected transcript of the questions for oral answer is published to the website each sitting day, and a copy of a full day’s debate is subsequently made available online in advance of the publication of the hard-copy version. Hard-copy Hansard reports are published weekly and monthly, and indexes are produced for each week, year, and parliamentary session.

Read Questions for Oral Answer

Select committee hearings

Transcription services for hearings of evidence at select committees are also provided on an as-required basis. These transcripts may be published as part of a committee’s report. Reporting Services staff also provide a cost-recovery transcription service for conferences related to parliamentary business.

Interpretation and translation services

Te Reo Māori

The Māori language was given official recognition in the House in 1985. Members have the right to speak in either te reo Māori or English, and are not obliged to give an interpretation of their remarks. Te Kaiwhakahaere--Ngā Ratonga Reo Māori, who is part of Reporting Services, provides an interpretation of speeches or remarks made in te reo Mäori in the House, provides transcripts and translations of speeches made in te reo Māori for publication in Hansard, and provides te reo Māori editing, translation, and interpretation services for select committees as required.

Sign Language

Sign language is New Zealand’s third official language. Reporting Services is developing a capability to provide a sign language interpretation service for the House and select committees when required.

Broadcasting

The Reporting Services group also administers contracts for the radio broadcasting of Parliament on Radio New Zealand, for radio programmes that summarise the business of Parliament, and for Parliament TV. This latest initiative, a major joint project between the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service, was launched in July 2007.

Parliamentary debate is now broadcast on three digital TV channels and is webcast on the parliamentary website, www.parliament.nz. All broadcasters have access to a live feed at no charge.