Why do members of parliament say hear, hear after someone from their party has spoken?
‘Hear, hear’ is an expression used by members of parliament to show their support for a speech. It is a short form of ‘hear them, hear them’ and is a way of saying, 'listen to what is being said—it’s important!'
The saying has a long history in the UK Parliament. It goes back to the 1600s and developed as a form of cheering. Applause or clapping was discouraged—and sometimes forbidden—so ‘hear, hear’ became a quick and effective way to show support and cheer on a team-mate.
Like many practices from the British Parliament, the custom of not clapping but saying ‘hear, hear’ was passed down to the Australian Parliament and is widely used today.
A minister speaking in the House of Representatives

DPS Auspic
Description
A minister answering a question during Question Time in the House of Representatives. Ministers are members of the Australian Government who have been given an area of responsibility for how Australia is run.
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.