Written and coded transcripts for plenary and committee meetings
Parliament should implement a data pipeline that results in the reliable and timely release of official transcripts for all parliamentary meetings (with a high priority given to committee meetings) that serve as an indexable and searchable record of every word spoken in parliamentary meetings. These transcripts should be created in accordance with international standards and made freely available to the public.
User stories
As a citizen, I want to be able to know what members or parliament are saying about the topics and issues I care most about, in order to help me decide who is representing and opposing these issues.
As an MP, I would like to be able to quickly search for mentions of a particular phrase, bill or topic across committee meetings, in order to better inform myself.
As a journalist, I would like to be able to quickly search for a certain members verbal contributions in a committee, in order investigate which members are making meaningful contributions.
Why this is important
While plenary sessions and formal addresses often get the attention of the media and the public, the true engine of our democracy are the decisions and discussions that take place in committee meetings. The ability to be able to quickly and easily search an official record for statements made is a powerful and critical oversight tool that has been adopted by many international parliaments.
How things currently stand
Parliament currently makes live feeds and recording of many committee meetings available for public access on Youtube. While these recordings can be helpful for MPs and highly engaged citizens who have the time and access to internet required to view them, their length, situational lack of audio clarity, and unreliable release (based on whether or not the meeting venue had been setup for audio and video recording) means that they do not serve as a completely reliable record.
What this recommendation will enable
- An indexable, searchable and official record of every word spoken in parliamentary meetings.
- Linking of MP contributions to outcomes in parliament.
- Greater oversight and accountability.
Progress made so far
ParliMeter has engaged with service providers to assess the cost of having transcripts created using parliaments meeting videos. We are awaiting further engagement from Parliament to take next actions on this recommendation.
Have your say
If you have any questions about this recommendation or if you have information you feel could contribute towards its progress, please submit your comment here.
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Every recommendation starts with a question
This list is always evolving to reflect the expressed needs of ParliMeter's users. If you have a question or an idea that you think requires intervention to implement, please tell us about it!
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