Parliamentary copyright

Parliamentary copyright is like when you draw a picture at school and you are the owner of that picture. So if someone else tries to take your picture and use it without your permission, that's not okay.

In the same way, when important people in government like Members of Parliament (MPs) or Senators write speeches or reports, they own those things too. This means that they get to decide who can use them and how they can be used.

Sometimes, people want to use parts of these speeches or reports in their own things, like news articles or books. They need to ask the MPs or Senators for permission first. This is because the MPs or Senators own the rights to their own words.

If someone uses an MP's or Senator's words without asking, it's like taking your friend's toy without their permission. It's not okay and they could get in trouble. So, we need to ask if it's okay to use other people's things, just like we ask before we borrow a friend's toy.