Definition: Hansard is the unofficial name of the "Official Report of Debates" in the federal Parliament of Canada. Hansard is also used to describe the official record of debates in the provincial and territory legislative assemblies. The name Hansard comes from the family originally responsible for reporting debates in the British House of Commons.
In the federal House of Commons and Senate, Hansard is published in both official languages, English and French, after each sitting. The debates are translated and transcribed as they occur, then edited and corrected before being published, usually the next day.
