House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador
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Newfoundland and Labrador
Hansard is the official transcript of the proceedings of the Legislature.
An archived webcast of proceedings is also available within one hour of the House rising for the day.
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Hansard is named after Thomas Hansard, a publisher of the report of debates of the U.K. Parliament in the early 19th Century. It records what is said in the House by the Member who has been recognized by the Speaker. Only those interjections responded to by the Member who has the floor at that time, or that are otherwise referenced by the Speaker or Chair, are included in Hansard. The Hansard document is essentially a verbatim transcript, with editing limited to ensuring proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, observing parliamentary forms, and minimizing repetition and redundancy.
Oral Questions are available in their partially edited format as soon as that portion of the transcription is complete, usually within an hour after question period ends.
Following an afternoon sitting of the House, an average of three hours of partially edited transcript is available online by approximately 7:00 p.m. on the same sitting day. It is replaced by the complete/edited version of the sitting as they are completed. A PDF version is also posted at this time.
The Hansards for evening sittings are completed when the House of Assembly is not in Session. These documents are available on the House of Assembly website as they are completed.
No Hansards are currently available online from the 32nd General Assembly, 1st Session to the 34th General Assembly, 3rd Session. For further information please contact the Legislative Library.
No Hansards were produced during the Commission of Government.
Prior to Commission of Government, the legislature was bicameral (consisting of two legislative chambers) – the elected House of Assembly, and an appointed Legislative Council. During the 1909-1933 timeframe, Hansards are available for both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council. When Commission of Government was instituted in 1934, this bicameral legislative structure ended.
*Hansards from 1932 and 1933 are compiled from original records and edited by James Hiller. Full documentation, including indexes, from Hiller's Debates of the Newfoundland Legislature, 1932 and 1933 are also available.
Digital copies of the Hansards from 21st General Assembly (1909) to the 27th General Assembly, 3rd Session (1931) have been provided courtesy of the Memorial University of Newfoundland - Digital Archives Initiative (DAI).
Hansard began publication in 1909; earlier General Assemblies were documented only through the Journals.
For research or for help using the Hansard index, please contact the Legislative Library.