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The written record of parliamentary debates. Hansard is the official, verbatim transcript of everything said in the chamber, including questions, speeches, interjections, and procedural rulings. It is publicly available and serves as the permanent historical record of parliamentary proceedings.

One of the two houses of the Australian Parliament, also known as the lower house, in which the Australian Government is formed. It currently has 151 members, each representing a single electorate. The party or coalition that can command a majority of seats in the House forms the government.

A parliament in which no political party has enough seats to secure an overall majority of members in the lower house. In a hung parliament, the party or leader best able to secure the confidence of a majority — through deals with independents or minor parties — forms the government. This can lead to formal coalition agreements or looser confidence and supply arrangements.

A member of parliament, or candidate for parliament, who does not belong to a registered political party. Independents are elected on their own platform and are free to vote as they choose on any issue without being bound by party discipline. Their influence in parliament tends to be greatest when no single party holds a majority, as their support may be required to form government or pass legislation.

A ballot paper which has been incorrectly completed or not filled in at all. Informal votes are not counted towards any candidate but are set aside. In Australian elections, voters must number every box on the House of Representatives ballot paper for their vote to be formal. Informal voting rates are monitored as an indicator of voter disengagement or confusion.

The name given to the lower house in most Australian state parliaments (Victoria, NSW, WA, Queensland). It is the chamber where the government of the day is formed, based on which party or coalition holds a majority of seats. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by voters in defined geographic electorates.

The upper house in most Australian state parliaments (NSW, Victoria, SA, WA, Tasmania). It acts as a house of review, examining and sometimes amending legislation that originates in the lower house. Members are typically elected using proportional representation, which tends to produce a more diverse range of parties than the lower house.

Lobbying refers to the practice of individuals or organisations seeking to influence the decisions, policies, or actions of government ministers, parliamentarians, and senior public officials. A lobbyist is a person paid to conduct this activity on behalf of a client — which may be a corporation, industry body, union, non-government organisation, or other interest group.

A seat held by a political party by a narrow margin — typically where the winning candidate received less than 56 per cent of the two-party preferred vote — making it at risk of being lost to another party. Marginal seats attract the most attention and campaign resources during elections because a small swing can be enough to change hands.

A member of parliament appointed by the Prime Minister (or Premier) to lead a government department or portfolio. Ministers are responsible for administering their portfolio area, introducing related legislation, and answering to parliament for the actions of their department. Senior ministers sit in cabinet; others are referred to as outer-cabinet or assistant ministers.