Work in small groups for these activities.

Activity 1: What does responsible government in Victoria look like today?

Read the overview Structure of responsible government.

The overview explains the structure of responsible government in Victoria. You may want to refer to information in the overview as you undertake this activity. Identify ideas or information that are unfamiliar to you and use these to develop questions for a class discussion and investigation.

Remember that a responsible government has a number of checks and balances. These checks and balances are used to keep governments honest, on target and responsible. They allow other Members of Parliament and the public to be kept informed of the decisions the government has made and to ensure they are in the best interests of all citizens as well as being legal actions. This activity will help you to understand how this works.

Print out the activity sheet, 'The structure of responsible government in Victoria'. (You can enlarge this chart by 131% to fit on an A3 sheet.) Cut out the key terms in Part 1 on the second page and use them to fill in the gaps on the chart.

Place the completed chart in the centre of a large sheet. Cut up the list of terms ('checks and balances') in Part 2 on the second page of this activity sheet. Paste these terms around the chart on the sheet, leaving space between them to write explanations later during Activity 3.

Activity 2: Understanding the parts

In your group, find out what each key term on the labels in Part 1 of the activity sheet means by visiting the following websites as well as conducting global searches:

• www.parliament.vic.gov.au The sections for the 'Legislative Council' and the 'Legislative Assembly', 'Education' and 'Hansard' are the most useful. Read and discuss the text.
• www.aph.gov.au/education/index.htm. Find information in 'Kidsview' to help you. You can find this in the section called 'Parliamentary Education Office'. You may also find the sections, 'Glossary', 'Parliament: an overview' and the 'Infosheets' useful. If you are a good reader you might like to read these sections too. Discuss these ideas in your group so you are clear about their meanings.
• www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au
• www.foi.vic.gov.au

Look at reference books such as the dictionary and encyclopedias in your school or local library to help you understand any terms you have not defined so far. Invite your local Members of Parliament to school to explain the structure of parliament and how it works. As a class, organise a free tour of Victoria's Parliament House by phoning the Education Officer on 9651 8568.

Activity 3: Checks and balances

Imagine someone who is visiting Victoria said the following to you:

'It's all right for you to say that these parts all work together to provide you with an honest and responsible government. How do you know if your responsible government is really doing its work correctly?'

To answer this person's question, you will need to understand 'checks and balances' - what they are and how they work.

Discuss what you think the phrase 'checks and balances' might mean. Record your ideas.

Decide how the ideas behind each term you stuck around the chart in Activity 1 acts as a check and balance on responsible government in Victoria. Visit the Parliament of Victoria website at www.parliament.vic.gov.au to help you complete this activity. You can also find some information at www.aph.gov.au/find/glossary.htm and www.peo.gov.au/kidsview/menu.html.

Write an explanation in your own words for each of the terms. Draw a line from each term to those parts of the chart about responsible government to which each term applies. Some checks and balances apply to more than one part of the government. For example, Question Time is held in the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

Prepare a group presentation to respond to the question your visitor asked. Use your chart to help with this. Present your information to another class at school. Be prepared to answer any questions they might have.

Keep your copy of this activity sheet for use later.

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• Introductory activities
• Going further

• The structure of responsible government in Victoria
• Quick Tour: Overview