Clerk of the Senate

Richard Pye

Richard commenced as Clerk of the Senate in 2017 and may serve in that role for a single term of up to ten years. As Clerk, he is principal adviser to the President and senators on proceedings in the Senate, parliamentary privilege, committee proceedings and other parliamentary matters. Richard is also secretary and adviser to the Senate Procedure Committee, and is the administrative head of the Department of the Senate.

He produces procedural information about the Senate and its committees, including Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, the Annotated Standing Orders of the Australian Senate, and the Procedural Information Bulletin.

Richard holds degrees from Sydney University in Economics and Law, and joined the Senate department in 1992. Prior to his appointment as Clerk, he held the position of Deputy Clerk. Richard previously led the Table Office and the Procedure Office and was secretary to various committees.

Deputy Clerk of the Senate

Jackie Morris

Jackie supports the Clerk in providing advice on Senate and committee proceedings and leading and managing the Senate department. She works closely with the Clerk Assistant (Procedure) to support non-government senators with procedural advice and legislative drafting services. Jackie is secretary to the Senate Committee of Privileges. In addition, she represents the department in various forums across the parliamentary service. Her corporate governance roles also include chairing the department's Program Managers group and overseeing the department's learning and development program.

Prior to her role as Deputy Clerk, Jackie worked in several roles within the Department of the Senate, including Clerk Assistant (Procedure) and Senior Clerk of Committees. Before joining the department, she worked for the Indigenous Land Corporation in both policy and project roles. She holds degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Queensland.

Clerk Assistant (Procedure)

Rachel Callinan

Rachel manages the Procedure Office which provides procedural advice and legislative drafting services, principally to non-government senators; provides the secretariats for three legislative scrutiny committees; and develops and presents public information about the role of the Senate and the parliamentary system. Rachel also leads the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO), which is jointly funded by the Departments of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The PEO provides parliamentary education resources and programs for students and teachers, and facilitates parliamentarian engagement with the community.

Rachel joined the Department as the Usher of the Black Rod and then moved to the role of Clerk Assistant (Table). Before joining the department, she was the Usher of the Black Rod with the New South Wales Legislative Council. She has extensive experience as a parliamentary officer, including as a committee secretary. Rachel has an Arts/Law degree from the Australian National University.

Clerk Assistant (Table)

Tim Bryant

Tim's primary responsibilities include the leadership of the Table Office and the Senate Public Information Office (SPIO), and the provision of procedural advice and programming services for the Senate. He is also the secretary to the Selection of Bills Committee and, as the current Registrar of Senators' Interests, is secretary to that committee too. The Table Office processes legislation and tabled documents, prepares and publishes records of Senate proceedings, and provides secretariat support to the Publications committee. SPIO manages information resources about the work of the Senate and its committees, and liaises on projects to enhance and develop the ICT systems that underpin the support provided to the Senate.

Tim commenced with the Department of the Senate in 2011 and has worked in several roles including committee secretary, Director of Research with a focus on public awareness work, and Clerk Assistant (Committees). Prior to joining the department, he worked in the Department of Education and has also been a teacher. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Fine Arts from the University of Sydney.

Clerk Assistant (Committees)

Toni Matulick

Toni manages the functions, resources and staffing of the Senate Committee Office, as well as providing procedural advice and training to senators and staff. She has worked in the Department of the Senate's Procedure and Committee Offices, having joined the department in 2008. Toni has worked as a teacher and a lawyer, has an Arts degree from Flinders University, qualifications in law and education from the University of Adelaide and a Master of Laws from the Australian National University.

Usher of the Black Rod

John Begley

John brings to the department experience spanning the private and public sector. He commenced his career in professional services, working for Ernst & Young and later PricewaterhouseCoopers. John joined the public service in 2011, working for the Australian Federal Police. Whilst at the AFP, John performed a number of roles supporting the Agency's financial compliance, governance, and budget management. Most recently, John has been the Deputy Chief Finance Officer at the Department of the Environment and Energy. John has degrees in Economics and Commerce from the Australian National University and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.