Administrative arrangements
Commissioner's role
The Parliamentary Service Act provides for an independent Commissioner appointed by the Presiding Officers. The Commissioner's role is to advise the Presiding Officers on the management policies and practices of the Parliamentary Service and, if requested by the Presiding Officers, to inquire into and report on Parliamentary Service matters. The Commissioner is not subject to direction by or on behalf of the executive government in the performance of his functions.
The Parliamentary Service Act empowers the Presiding Officers to make determinations on a range of matters affecting the Parliamentary Service. The Parliamentary Service Act also requires the Presiding Officers to consult the Commissioner before making these determinations.
Section 42 of the Parliamentary Service Act requires the Commissioner to give a report to the Presiding Officers for presentation to the Parliament on the activities of the Commissioner during the year.
Merit Protection Commissioner's role
The role of the Merit Protection Commissioner includes inquiring into whistleblower reports
and alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct; functions prescribed in determinations made for the purposes of section 33 of the Parliamentary Service Act (review of actions); and inquiring into actions at the request of the Presiding Officers.
Section 49 of the Parliamentary Service Act requires the Merit Protection Commissioner to give a report to the Commissioner for inclusion in the Commissioner's report under section 42.
The Merit Protection Commissioner's report is at Appendix A.
Roles and responsibilities of the individual departments
Four parliamentary departments are established under the Parliamentary Service Act.
The Department of the Senate and the Department of the House of Representatives (the chamber departments) provide advice and support to the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and to parliamentary committees and to Senators and Members.
The purpose of the Department of the Parliamentary Budget Office is to inform the Parliament by providing independent advice and non-partisan analysis of the budget cycle, fiscal policy and the financial impact of proposals. As reported above, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, since 29 June 2013, has an additional function of reporting on designated Parliamentary parties' publicly announced policies by 30 days after a government forms following a general election.
DPS provides a range of support services for the Parliament and for Parliament House. Its services include information services to the Parliament, security, facilities, visitor services, building management and maintenance, landscaping, ICT, telecommunications management, broadcasting and records services.
Under the Parliamentary Service Act, the Secretaries of the parliamentary departments have roles and responsibilities similar to those of Australian Public Service agency heads.
Appointments to statutory offices under the Parliamentary Service Act are made by the Presiding Officers.
The Secretaries of the chamber departments are Dr Rosemary Laing, Clerk of the Senate, and Mr Bernard Wright, Clerk of the House of Representatives. Both were appointed for non-renewable terms of ten years from 5 December 2009. Mr Phil Bowen PSM is the Parliamentary Budget Officer and Secretary of the Department of the Parliamentary Budget Office; his appointment is for a term of four years from 23 July 2012. Ms Carol Mills is Secretary, DPS; she was appointed for five years from 28 May 2012.
Parliamentary Librarian
Dr Dianne Heriot holds the office of Parliamentary Librarian. Her appointment is for five years from 10 May 2012.
Staffing summary
The following tables present a summary of Parliamentary Service staffing as at 30 June 2013.
Numbers are actual staff numbers at 30 June 2013.
Department |
Category |
Senate
|
House of
Representatives
|
Parliamentary
Budget Office
|
Parliamentary
Services
|
Total
|
Categories of employment
Ongoing
|
143
|
136
|
29
|
706
|
1014
|
Non-ongoing
|
18
|
36
|
4
|
126
|
184
|
Total
|
161
|
172
|
33
|
832
|
1198
|
Full-time and part-time employment (includes casual)
Full-time
|
130
|
141
|
32
|
594
|
897
|
Part-time
|
31
|
31
|
1
|
238
|
301
|
Total
|
161
|
172
|
33
|
832
|
1198
|
Employment by work group
Sec/SES
|
6
|
5
|
7
|
12
|
30
|
Executive*
|
48
|
58
|
17
|
166
|
289
|
Other
|
107
|
109
|
9
|
654
|
879
|
Total
|
161
|
172
|
33
|
832
|
1198
|
* Groups 7 and 8 of the Classification Rules
Total staff numbers at 30 June
Year
|
2003
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
Number
|
1259
|
1311
|
1286
|
1193
|
1181
|
1256
|
1223
|
1181
|
1179
|
1186
|
Staff turnover (ongoing employees)
There were 146 separations of ongoing employees during the year, representing 12.3% of ongoing staff.
Staff numbers by classification and gender at 30 June
Year
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
No/%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
No
|
%
|
SES/Secretary –
Male
Female
|
11
11
|
50
50
|
13
11
|
54
46
|
9
10
|
47
53
|
8
14
|
36
64
|
8
14
|
36
64
|
14
16
|
47
53
|
Executive –
Male
Female
|
175
134
|
57
43
|
166
138
|
55
45
|
152
128
|
54
46
|
155
124
|
56
44
|
148
127
|
54
46
|
156
133
|
54
46
|
Other –
Male
Female
|
523
402
|
57
43
|
511
384
|
57
43
|
498
384
|
56
44
|
502
376
|
57
43
|
516
373
|
58
42
|
510
369
|
58
42
|
Total –
Male
Female
|
709
547
|
56
44
|
690
533
|
56
44
|
659
522
|
56
44
|
665
514
|
56
44
|
672
514
|
57
43
|
680
518
|
57
43
|
Workplace Diversity
Department
|
Senate
|
House of Representatives
|
Parliamentary
Budget Office
|
Parliamentary Services
|
Total
|
Gender –
Male
Female
|
71
90
|
75
97
|
20
13
|
514
318
|
680
518
|
English not first language spoken*
|
3
|
8
|
2
|
71
|
84
|
ATSI origin*
|
–
|
–
|
–
|
4
|
4
|
Staff who have identified a disability*
|
–
|
4
|
1
|
3**
|
8
|
*Information provided on a voluntary basis.
** Likely to be under-reported. A diversity census scheduled for 2012–13 has been delayed to 2013–14 pending the release of a new workplace diversity policy.
Ongoing staff—age distribution
Age
|
Under 25
|
25–34
|
35–44
|
45–54
|
55 and over
|
Number
|
30
|
177
|
282
|
274
|
251
|
%
|
3.0
|
17.5
|
27.8
|
27.0
|
24.7
|
Financial summary
The following table presents a summary of the parliamentary departments' total revenue, 2012–13.
The Department of the Senate, the Department of the House of Representatives and the Department of Parliamentary Services are not responsible for preparing the administered schedules and notes relating to the special appropriations from which they draw down various monies to pay for Senators' and Members' remuneration and entitlements. The legislation establishing these appropriations is administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation and the Australian Public Service Commission. These agencies are responsible for reporting these administered special appropriation items and they are not included in the table below.
Parliamentary departments
|
Total revenue
|
Equity injection
|
Revenue from government
$'000
|
Resources received free of charge
$'000
|
Sale of goods and services etc
$'000
|
Total
$'000
|
Departmental capital budget
$'000
|
Administered
$'000
|
Senate
|
20,484
|
1,881
|
422
|
22,787
|
657
|
–
|
House of Representatives
|
21,913
|
1,957
|
1,501
|
25,371
|
1,050
|
–
|
Parliamentary Budget Office
|
6,191
|
185
|
–
|
6,376
|
–
|
–
|
Parliamentary
Services
|
101,160
|
163
|
6,801
|
108,124
|
9,747
|
12,896
|
Total
|
149,748
|
4,186
|
8,724
|
162,658
|
11,454
|
12,896
|
An appropriation of $6 million for the Parliamentary Budget Office made under section 64 of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 has not been expended and will be available in 2013–14.