The 2014–15 reporting period spans the second year of the Forty-fourth Parliament. The
mid-point of the three-year parliamentary cycle is traditionally a time of consolidation and
hard work, during which the business of the House and its committees takes priority in the
absence of the additional pressures associated with an election period. While the overall level
of activity in the department did not quite reach the peak experienced in the years of minority
government during the Forty-third Parliament, 2014–15 was still a busy year.
In 2014–15, as in previous years, the department’s Committee Office provided invaluable
support to the work of House and joint committees, which included several high-profile
and sensitive inquiries. The Table Office and Chamber Research Office played pivotal roles
in managing the legislative and deliberative functions of the House of Representatives and
the Federation Chamber. The Office of the Serjeant-at-Arms provided essential services to
members and staff and, significantly during 2014–15, worked closely with colleagues inside and
outside Parliament House on security matters. The International and Parliamentary Relations
Office and the Parliamentary Skills Centre, newly created in this reporting year, managed the
parliament’s busy schedule of incoming and outgoing delegations and capacity-building
activities.
While accustomed to working in the public eye, it is notable that, in 2014–15, the department
supported several high-profile events that attracted more than the usual level of publicity. In
July 2014, the department was proud to support the Speaker and members of the House of
Representatives on the occasion of an address by the Prime Minister of Japan, His Excellency
Mr Shinzo Abe. In November 2014, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon David
Cameron; the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Mr Xi Jinping; and the
Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Mr Narendra Modi, addressed the House. In June 2015,
Parliament House hosted a number of events connected with the 800th anniversary of the
signing of Magna Carta, many of which were widely reported in the media. These events were
a great success and I commend the departmental staff involved for their highly professional
support to the House.
The department also played a role in the review and subsequent upgrading of security
arrangements at Parliament House, including the process by which the Australian Federal Police
assumed lead responsibility for the physical security of the building. The Executive and staff
of the department noted with great sadness the events of 22 October 2014 at the Canadian
Parliament in Ottawa, and echo the statements of condolence and support made in the House
the following day by the Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Such
events remind us of the vulnerability of our institutions to security threats and that we share this
vulnerability with other parliaments throughout the world.
The department’s work during the reporting period was guided by its 2013–16 corporate
plan. The plan sets out four priority areas: capability, leadership, skills and knowledge-sharing,
and relationships and collaboration.