This research guide provides advice about where to find and how to use Western Australian Government publications.
Hansard is a record of all parliamentary debates, speeches and proceedings in both the Legislative Council (Upper House) and Legislative Assembly (Lower House). Hansard records also incorporate answers to questions on notice. Searches can be made through a member and subject index, prepared quarterly.
Searching Hansard
For tips on searching Hansard see this How to search and use Hansard page.
1870 to 2000
This Hansard archives page can be searched by date or an Advanced search option is available on the right hand side.
2000 until present
This Hansard page can be used to search for Hansard records from 2000 onwards. Select 'Advanced search (2000 until present)'
Live Parliamentary proceedings
Live audio and video broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings are available on sitting days.
Archived broadcasts for previous sittings of the Legislative Council, Legislative Assembly and Committee hearings are also available from this page (2017 - present day), broadcasts are in an archived video format from 2017 - 2020. Each date is accompanied by a PDF version of Hansard for the day.
Scrutiny of finances (budget estimates)
These reports are available from the Scrutiny of finances page on the Parliament of Western Australia website.
Browse by current or previous Legislative Council/Assembly estimates or Annual reports on the right hand side of the webpage. Click on the links available to view a report.
Parliamentary Committees
Search Committee transcripts here. Select 'Advanced search' on the right-hand side of the page to limit the search to specific dates, a specific parliament, the upper or lower house, keywords or search by current or past committees. Then click 'Search'.
1996 to present
Members’ speeches
Member Speeches can be searched for using the Hansard index, select the year, then "Questions and Speeches". This information can then be used to find the Hansard transcript through the search page here.
Parliamentary questions
Answers to Questions on notice and Questions without notice are uploaded as soon as possible. Questions from both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly are available here.
An explanation of Parliamentary Questions and Question Time is available here.
Full text
1953 - 2013 (subscription cancelled)
Parliamentary debates (Hansard). Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly.
Official record of proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
Right Honorable Sir John Forrest First Premier of Western Australia; H2016.179/5
John Forrest was the first Premier of WA (1890-1900) and was then elected to Australia's first Federal Parliament where he served as a minister under a number of prime ministers until resigning due to ill-health in 1918.
