History of Hansard

Hansard is the name given throughout the Commonwealth to the daily printed record of the debates of parliament. Political reformer William Cobbett introduced Britain's first record of parliamentary debates in 1810 but later sold his interest in the debates to the Hansard family, printers to the British House of Commons. Although the Hansard family only produced the record of debates from 1812 to 1888, the report retained the Hansard name by which it is known today.

Hansard has been a part of Canada's parliamentary heritage since 1880 and a part of Alberta's legislative history since 1972.