Parliaments and legislative bodies around the world impose certain rules and standards during debates. Tradition has evolved that there are words or phrases that are deemed inappropriate for use in the legislature whilst it is in session. In a Westminster system, this is called unparliamentary language and there are similar rules in some but not all other legislative systems. This includes, but is not limited to, the suggestion of dishonesty or the use of profanity. Most unacceptable in Westminster systems is any insinuation that another member is dishonourable. So, for example, in the British House of Commons any direct reference to a member as lying is unacceptable, even if the allegation is substantively true. A conventional alternative, when necessary, is to complain of a "terminological inexactitude".
Exactly what constitutes unparliamentary language is generally left to the discretion of the Speaker of the House. Part of the speaker's job can be to enforce the assembly's debating rules, one of which is that members may not use "unparliamentary" language. That is, their words must not offend the dignity of the assembly. In addition, legislators in some places are protected from prosecution and civil actions by parliamentary immunity which generally stipulates that they cannot be sued or otherwise prosecuted for anything spoken in the legislature. Consequently, they are expected to avoid using words or phrases that might be seen as abusing that immunity.
Like other rules that have changed with the times, speakers' rulings on unparliamentary language reflect the tastes of the period. The Table, the annual journal of the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table in Commonwealth Parliaments, includes a list of expressions ruled unparliamentary that year in the national and regional assemblies of its members.
Partial list, by country
Australia Federal Parliament In the Australian Senate, the words "liar" and "dumbo" were ordered to be withdrawn and deemed unparliamentary during a session in 1997.
Profanity is almost always considered unparliamentary language in both houses of the Australian Parliament, and in all other Australian legislatures. Hence, the words fuck and cunt are almost always avoided. However, other words such as shit and bullshit are more commonly used, but are still generally considered unparliamentary.
Utterances found to be unparliamentary in the Australian Parliament include: "...these so-called electoral reforms are a massive stitch-up by the major parties to cement their power and influence. We've got to keep the two old white guys running against each other every election!" "You're a proven racist....Withdraw—given the findings against him? He was sacked by the UK Prime Minister for being that. He was literally sacked for that reason." "What this will do is essentially Dutton-proof that scheme, Leader-of-the-Opposition-proof that scheme."
Queensland In the Queensland Parliament, utterances found to be unparliamentary include:
"He is so arrogant and out of touch and thinks himself so great that he is the only member in this House who could polish the chandeliers with his nose, because he is constantly looking over and out above everybody." "The scab nurses' union and the scab ambulance union did not stand up for their supposed members..." "...as opposed to the member for Maryborough, who not only looks like a clown but sounds like one and behaves like one." "Bugger. I was on a roll. Sorry." "...and said the team's main KPI was to provide media which would 'give the Labor minister a stiffy'." “barely more respectable than that of a warlord.” "We get the balance of power, very simply that means that we have the testicles of the Government in our hand at every given stage" [quoting from a source] Steve then went on to use three angry emojis and two swearing emojis They were exciting times in my household during that era because my son very proudly was the "arse of the ass" the entire LNP front bench—was a conga line of suckholes sucking up to Malcolm Turnbull and Queenslanders You were the biggest peanut there "They can't. They're muppets" and "I take that interjection. They are muppets" Pantomime man. You goose. ... we cannot even get the Premier and certainly the Treasurer to mention the c-word [reference to coal]. Of course, she is coming as a jellyfish, because they do not have a spine ...the Premier more or less told me to bugger off ...a councillor who was a bit of a dropkick Fruit loop [in reference to the National Party backbench] You goose! We have a Treasurer who is a goose, an absolute goose Apparatchik... owned by the RTBU, the ETU and AFULE... Suck up to her union mates "You're a dog." "WTF?" The State of Origin is not culturally significant to Queensland? I referred to the Leader of the Opposition as the Eeyore of Queensland politics. Treated us all like mushrooms—kept us all in the dark and fed us crap. Bullshit It is a bloody disgrace I was asked to sit down and give you the opportunity to jump because you were sooking. I withdraw the comment that the Treasurer is a "tossing" Treasurer and say that he is a "coin-flipping Treasurer" You nitwit You knucklehead In the words of the Prime Minister, this budget is crap It is my belief that the member for... is too lazy to read the amendments. He must have had his head in a chaff bag to not have even considered this. Like bloody hell! It is always interesting following the female fascist from Nanango. My view is this: if you lie down with corrupt dogs, you get up with corrupt fleas Maggot! You're the one that buggered it up... you're a hypocrite. He has a bit of trouble with his medication at times. He has wind coming out both ends. ... is the hairy-nosed wombat of environment ministers across Australia. I hope there are no drunks using light poles. you gutless wonders Far Knuth He knew he was in for a pizzling—sorry. ... the troglodytes over there in the LNP You are spivs and scumbags.
Belgium In Belgium, there is no such thing as unparliamentary language. A member of parliament is allowed to say anything they wish when inside parliament. This is considered necessary in Belgium to be able to speak of a democratic state and is a constitutional right. Nevertheless, when on 27 March 2014, Laurent Louis called the Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo a pedophile, the other members of parliament left the room in protest. This immunity that manifests itself in an absolute freedom of speech when in parliament does not exist when outside of parliament. In that case, prosecution is possible when and if the majority of parliament decides so.
Canada These are some of the words and phrases that speakers through the years have ruled "unparliamentary" in the Parliament of Canada, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, the National Assembly of Québec, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
Parliamentary pugilist (1875) a bag of wind (1878) inspired by forty-rod whisky (1881) coming into the world by accident (1886) blatherskite (1890) the political sewer pipe from Carleton County (1917) lacking in intelligence (1934) a dim-witted saboteur (1956) liar (1959, 2022) devoid of honour (1960) joker in the house (1960) ignoramus (1961) scurrilous (1961) to hell with Parliament attitude (1961) trained seal (1961) evil genius (1962) demagogue (1963) Canadian Mussolini (1964) Canadian Hitler (1964) sick animal (1966) pompous ass (1967) crook (1971) does not have a spine (1971) fuddle duddle (1971) pig (1977) jerk (1980) sleazebag (1984) racist (1986, 1997 and 2020) absolute fraud (1986) lying scum (1987) scuzzball (1988) traitor (1992) son of a bitch (1997) modern‑day Klansmen (2002) weathervane (2007) Il Duce (2007) you piece of shit (2011) fart (2016) he doesn't give a fuck (2018) "", a character representing extreme greed in Québec pop culture (2019) “The only thing that I regret about Margaret Thatcher’s death is that it happened probably 30 years too late.” (2020) crap (2021) wacko (2024)
Fiji In the Parliament of Fiji, there has been debate over what is considered unparliamentary language. In 2021, then-Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau ruled that the word "imbecile" was not considered unparliamentary language.
Hong Kong The President of the Legislative Council has ruled a number of expressions to be offensive, insulting, or unparliamentary, including:
"foul grass grows out of a foul ditch" (, 1996) "stupid" (, 1997) "rubber stamps" (1999) "impudently and shamelessly" (2004), "shameless" (2005) "dog class" (2006) "stumbling to death on the street" (, lit. "stumble on street", pronounced puk gaai, 2009), "PK" (abbreviation of puk gaai, 2019) "dog shit" (, 2010) "castrati", "eunuch" (2010) "lackey" (2011), "lackey and slave" (2019) "kissed the wrong ass" (, lit. "slapped a horse's ass but ended up slapping the horse's scrotum", 2013) "like a dog running around, snapping at people" (2014) "chickens" (, which could also mean female prostitute, 2016) "flunkey" (, lit. "running dog", 2017) "a shrew hurling abuse on the street" (, 2017) "you are dickhead(s), bullying us egghead(s)" (2017) "dog official" (, 2019) "scumbag" (2019) "lying" (2019) "despicable and low-down" (, 2019) "you had better chop off that Member's head" (2019) "habitually eat foreign sausage" (, inferring sex with a white man, 2019) "you, the self-proclaimed Chairman", "the phoney Chairman" (2020) "ignoble" (, 2020)
India In 2012, the Indian Parliament published a book of words and phrases that were considered to be unparliamentary:
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, bad man, badmashi, bandicoot, blackmail, blind, deaf and dumb, bluffing, bribe, bucket of shit, communist, confused mind, dacoit, darling (said to a female MP), deceive, double-minded, double-talk, downtrodden, goonda, lazy, liar, loudmouth, lousy, nuisance, racketeer, radical extremist, rat, ringmaster, scumbag, thief, thumbprint (to an illiterate MP)In July 2022, the Lok Sabha Secretariat came up with a booklet of unparliamentary words with an additional list of the following:abused, ahankaar, anarchist, apmaan, asatya, ashamed, baal buddhi, bechara, behri sarkar, betrayed, bloodshed, bloody, bobcut, chamcha, chamchagiri, cheated, chelas, childishness, corrupt, Covid spreader, coward, criminal, crocodile tears, daadagiri, dalal, danga, dhindora peetna, dictatorial, disgrace, dohra charitra, donkey, drama, eyewash, foolish, fudge, gaddar, ghadiyali ansu, girgit, goons, hooliganism, hypocrisy, incompetent, Jaichand, jumlajeevi, kala bazaari, kala din, Khalistani, khareed farokht, khoon se kheti, lie, lollypop, mislead, nautanki, nikamma, pitthu, samvedanheen, sexual harassment, Shakuni, Snoopgate, taanashah, taanashahi, untrue, vinash purush, vishwasghat.
Ireland In Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), the chair (Ceann Comhairle or replacement) rules in accordance with standing orders on disorderly conduct, including prohibited words, expressions, and insinuations. If the chair rules that an utterance is out of order, then typically the member withdraws the remark and no further action occurs.Dáil Éireann 2011, §§272, 275; Dáil CPP 2010 p.8 §14 The relevant words are retained in the Official Report transcription despite being formally withdrawn. The chair cannot rule if they did not hear the words alleged to be unparliamentary. A member who refuses to withdraw a remark may be suspended and must leave the chamber.Dáil Éireann 2011, §§283(b), 286 A periodically updated document, Salient Rulings of the Chair, lists past rulings,