| |||
| |||
|
       
|  |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of House sitting days | 74 |
| Number of Main Committee meeting days | 42 |
|
Rate of satisfaction of Members with Chamber and Main Committee services2 |
|
| Clerks in the Chamber and Main Committee | 97% |
| Procedural advice, drafting of motions, amendments or private Members’ bills | 87% |
| Table Office services | |
|
93% |
|
93% |
|
84% |
|
92% |
|
95% |
| House publications – House of Representatives Practice, Guide to Procedures, Work of the Session | 95% |
| Information or statistics about parliamentary practice or procedure | 85% |
| Messengerial attendants in the Chamber and Main Committee | 95% |
Notes
1 Appendix 2, Table A2-1 provides details of the performance achieved against the performance forecasts provided in the department’s 1999–2000 Portfolio Budget Statement.
2 The rate of satisfaction of Members with Chamber and Main Committee services is the number of Members who were either very satisfied or satisfied with these services as a percentage of the total number of Members who responded to the Members’ survey. Sixty-one (41% ) Members responded to the survey.
Output Group 1 is heavily reliant on a small number of staff with the necessary parliamentary procedural knowledge and skills. The use of departmental staff to ‘shadow’ key procedural staff in the Table Office and thus to widen the pool of qualified staff, continued successfully during the year. Not only were individual staff provided with an opportunity to develop new procedural skills, but the Table Office was able to draw on those staff to fill positions on a short-term basis as a result of staff absences. Office manuals were also updated to reflect changed practices and to assist all staff. Through these activities, a continuously high level of support was maintained to the Chamber and Main Committee.
Output Group 1 is also heavily reliant on high quality and stable information technology support systems. Significant effort was expended during the year on ensuring that all departmental IT systems were Y2K compliant, and no problems were subsequently experienced with those systems that support the Chamber and Main Committee.
Procedural advice and support services
Advice on the practices and procedures of the House provided by the Clerk, Deputy Clerk and other staff members helped to ensure the proper functioning of the Chamber and Main Committee. As in previous years, the clerks were called on throughout the year to provide the Speaker and Members with advice on the application of the law and rules under which the House operates as well as assistance in the preparation of legislation and legislative amendments. Advice was also provided on issues ranging from the constitutional powers of the Houses in respect of legislation to issues of Members’ interests, and on the law and practice of privilege. Feedback from the Speaker and Members, both publicly in the House, through the Members’ survey, and informally, indicated their high level of satisfaction with these services.
Any comment on the performance of the department in relation to the first output group needs to be made in the context of the level of activity of the House and of the Main Committee.
The House met on 74 sitting days during the year and the Main Committee met on 42 occasions. There were 663 hours of sittings of the House and 122 hours of meetings of the Main Committee. Appendix 3 provides summary information on the work of the House and the Main Committee. Although the information does not of itself define the department’s performance, it does indicate the nature of the performance requirements which had to be met. Further information on the work of the House and the Main Committee is available in the House publication Work of the Session available on the Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/pubs/wots/index.htm.
All the documents required for each sitting day were supplied in a timely manner and met the performance indicators as set out in the Portfolio Budget Statement 1999-2000, as detailed in Appendix 2. This included documents such as the Notice Paper, the Daily Program, procedures and associated material for the use of Ministers and Members in proceedings, the Daily Bills List, the Disallowable Instruments List, and the formal record of proceedings of the House and the Main Committee, the Votes and Proceedings. All public documents were made available in both electronic and hard copy forms, and were provided within Parliament House through the departmental intranet and externally through the parliamentary internet site. The proceedings in the Chamber and Main Committee were broadcast through the internet during the year, through the web broadcast facility. Further enhancements to the software system supporting the Chamber, the Document Production System, were made during the year (including simplifying the generation of Votes and Proceedings indexes), and additional modifications are expected to be made next financial year.
Following further internal consultation, a new system for the recording of Deputy Clerk’s minutes was introduced. The new system removes the need for the Deputy Clerk-at-the-Table to record extensive handwritten minutes, with events now recorded in the Chamber in a more abbreviated form. With the introduction of a laptop computer at the Table, an electronic record of the House’s proceedings is available progressively throughout the sitting day, and can be accessed not only in the Chamber, but by senior officers and Chamber support staff of the department. This has led to better use of senior staff’s time, as they are able to determine quickly and accurately what has occurred in the Chamber when they were not on duty, and provide a more efficient response to queries from Members as a result. The Chamber laptop is also used for online communication between the Table Office and Clerks-at-the-Table. This direct communication mode enables the Table Office to immediately alert Clerks-at-the-Table about proposed changes to the Chamber program.
Arrangements were put in place during the year for the electronic lodgment of questions on notice, to augment existing procedures. This was in response to a recommendation of the Standing Committee on Procedure in its inquiry into electronic lodgment of parliamentary material. Many Members are using the facility and it has resulted in efficiencies in the production of the Notice Paper.
The redesigned inquiry counter for Chamber documents has meant improved storage capacity and quicker retrieval of various documents for clients. Greater use is being made by inquiry staff of online information sources to meet client requests more efficiently.
All aspects of tasks associated with achieving Chamber and Main Committee outputs were examined to varying degrees during the year. Staff also had the opportunity to discuss operating practices with visiting parliamentary staff from State and Territory Parliaments as well as overseas legislatures. These discussions allowed staff to monitor developments and trends in parliamentary practice and procedure in a number of different environments.
Legislation and research services
The volume of legislation and legislative amendment remained at a significant level during the year. One hundred and ninety-seven bills were initiated in the House of Representatives and 11 were received from the Senate during the year. Of these, 16 were private Members’ bills, for which the department provided drafting assistance. Details are provided in Table A3-2 in Appendix 3.
The House amended 43 pieces of legislation during its consideration of those bills, requiring the amendments to be incorporated and the bills to be reprinted prior to transmittal to the Senate. Fifty-seven bills were amended by the Senate and agreed to by the House, requiring further departmental processing. In total, 208 bills were prepared, printed, and checked for accuracy prior to assent. The department provided drafting assistance for the 57 second reading (in principle) and 242 detail amendments moved by private Members during the year.
Exceptionally high levels of accuracy were maintained during all of the legislative stages and all deadlines were achieved. Staff from other areas of the department continued to assist in the checking process during the peak periods. This has now led to a situation where a wider pool of experienced officers is available to assist in the processing of legislation.
Further enhancement of the Bills in Progress (a document management system for all bills currently before the Parliament) system was undertaken during the year to improve the interface for users. Additional development work is expected to be undertaken next financial year.
Preliminary work also commenced on an internal review of document management and archiving practices. Issues being examined include the nature of the material being held, conservation issues and the anticipated future capacity of the storage area. The review will be completed next financial year.
Substantial work was undertaken on preparing the final bound copies of the 38th Parliament’s (1996–97–98) Votes and Proceedings. It is anticipated that the bound copies will be available early in the next financial year, and will provide a valuable reference source for Members, departmental staff, and interested individuals alike.
Demand for documents (including bills and related documents and papers tabled in either House) remained constant throughout the year. Providing parliamentary documents in electronic form through the Internet and responding to Internet and other queries, continued to be a significant activity for the department.
Provision of advice
As in previous years, advice was provided during the year on a range of specialist parliamentary procedural and other topics. Advice was provided for the Speaker and Members, national and State parliaments and members of the public. Some inquiries were of a routine nature and others required a deal of background research and analysis. A trend that continued during the year was a growing number of requests by email. A small sample of the topics upon which advice has been provided over the year, chosen to illustrate the variety of subjects dealt with, includes:
Procedure Committee
The Standing Committee on Procedure completed a major inquiry into community involvement in the procedures and practices of the House of Representatives and its committees during the year. The department’s Chamber Research Office provided the secretariat for the inquiry. The report of the inquiry, which was tabled in November 1999, generated considerable ongoing interest and has been a key driver for a range of new outreach activities discussed elsewhere in this report. It has also led to a review of the Standing Orders of the House.
During the year the committee also completed an inquiry into electronic lodgment of notices of motion, questions on notice and related matters and embarked on a major review of the House’s Main Committee.
Review of Standing Orders
The department commenced a review of the Standing Orders during the year. The aim of the review is to rewrite and restructure the existing standing orders to improve their formulation and to make them more readable, rather than to make substantive changes. Revised draft standing orders are being prepared for the consideration of the Standing Committee on Procedure. The review is guided by the Committee’s wish to preserve the character of the standing orders by retaining traditional terminology, such as the ‘reading’ of a bill or ‘naming’ of a Member. The review is expected to be completed by the end of 2000.
Publications
Significant progress was made during the year towards publication of a new (4th) edition of House of Representatives Practice. Work is on track to meet the proposed publication date in 2001 as one of the projects to mark the centenary of federation.
A new publication was issued during the year to fill a perceived gap in the range of procedural information about the operation of the House. House of Representatives: Guide to Procedures is a companion volume to the standing orders of the House and falls between the advanced information provided in House of Representatives Practice and the basic text of the Infosheet series. It is aimed primarily at Members of the House and their staff.
New arrangements were also put in place for the sale of three departmental publications (House of Representatives Practice, Guide to Procedures and Standing and Sessional Orders) through AusInfo and the Parliament Shop. Revenue from sales is for the first time being returned to the department.
Outlook
As much of the work associated with achieving results in Output Group 1 is heavily dependent on information technology, a major focus of the next year will be on ensuring office systems and databases are strengthened and improved. Modifications will be necessary to the Document Production and the Bills in Progress systems in particular to ensure compatibility when the department undergoes the next platform upgrade.
Work will be done to facilitate access by the general public through the parliamentary web site, to the work of the House and its committees. This will include an online guide for the public about forthcoming business, and a summary of business transacted.
Laptop computers are scheduled to be introduced for staff in the Main Committee during the 2000 Spring sittings. This will enable an electronic record of the proceedings in the Main Committee to be available progressively throughout the sitting day at the Main Committee Table and permit online communication between the Table Office and Clerks in the Main Committee.
The continuation of ‘shadowing’ arrangements, to provide in-house training and development opportunities for staff and to provide a wider pool of staff with procedural knowledge, will continue, as will further development of a pool of departmental officers available for Chamber duty.
Finalisation of the new edition of House of Representatives Practice will form a significant focus of effort in the first half of 2000–2001.
Output Group 2 – Members’ Services
Description
This output group comprises those outputs associated with the provision of facilities and support services for Members in Parliament House. These outputs contribute to the sub-outcome: ‘Members receive approved services to fulfil their parliamentary duties’. Program 3 contributes principally to this output group, together with Programs 1 and 4.
Actual expenses for the output group in 1999–2000 were $7.777m (budget $7.171m). The increase reflected a general increase in the level of services. A summary of the financial resources for the output group is provided in Table 1, p 11.
Table 3 Performance summary Output Group 2
| Rate of satisfaction of Members with support services | |
|---|---|
| House publications providing information for Members, such as House Update and the Members’ Handbook | 90% |
| Transport services (the ‘shuttle’) | 84% |
| Repairs and maintenance and furniture relocation | 90% |
| Provision of telephones, facsimile machines, and desk top and laptop computing facilities | 92% |
| Printing and personalised stationery | 95% |
| Mail and goods pick up and delivery | 92% |
| Online services delivered over the House of Representatives intranet, eg, the centralised parliamentarians address list, online ordering, the news service in Parliament House | 92% |
| Members’ Internet home pages | 69% |
| Advice on entitlements and allowances | 92% |
Note
1 The rate of dissatisfaction was 7%, with 25%
of Members responding to the survey not using the service or not commenting
on the item.
Discussion of performance
As previously mentioned, Appendix 2 provides details of achievements against the performance forecasts provided in the 1999–2000 PBS. A generally high standard of service was achieved for Output Group 2 services, in accordance with performance standards. This was reflected in the high levels of satisfaction reported in the survey of Members, as summarised in Table 3. The department’s performance in relation to the 13 outputs identified in the 1999–2000 PBS, is discussed under three headings.
Advice
During the year, advice was provided on a range of Members’ services and related issues on many occasions. For example, written advice on financial, information systems and publishing matters affecting Members was provided to the Speaker, Clerk or Members on 43 occasions, with the 12 briefs to the Speaker usually involving the drafting of associated advice or responses. All advice was well received and in some cases involved supplementary verbal briefings.
In accordance with service standards for Members’ support services, the department aimed to respond to such requests within two days for routine matters and five days for more complex issues. Requests were generally addressed within these standards.
Parliamentary allowance
All Members’ received their parliamentary allowance (equivalent of salary) each month in accordance with service delivery arrangements. All variations received prior to the cut-off were processed for the next available payday, with complete accuracy. An increase in the salary of all Members and additional increase for office holders was processed for the first available payday in January 2000. This increase was processed with complete accuracy, according to the information on hand. The increase was backdated to the date of effect, 7 December 1999. An increase in electorate allowance was processed for all Members for the payday in May 2000, with backdating from 1 January 2000. This was the first available payday following receipt of the determination from the Remuneration Tribunal. In all, 1 776 payments were processed during the year at an estimated cost of $6.20 per payment.
This year was the first year that the group certificates for Members, which are prepared by the department, displayed the fringe benefits tax information required under the ‘A New Tax System’ legislation. DOFA coordinated the collection of the information and provided the details of amounts to be included on the group certificates.
The department makes payment of the parliamentary and electorate allowances of all Members, and pays the office holder allowance for parliamentary office holders who are Members of the House of Representatives. DOFA pays the office holder allowance for Ministers. These arrangements result in Ministers receiving two salary advices. In anticipation of the new tax system, discussions were held with DOFA concerning proposed changes to the taxation deduction arrangements, with a view to simplification of current arrangements.
Facilities and services
‘Facilities and services’ represent 11 outputs covering the range of office based services for Members in Parliament House that are provided by the department. These include accommodation facilities, publications providing information for Members, printing and information technology support services. The survey of Members showed a generally high level of satisfaction with these services.
One area in which the survey demonstrated a lower level of satisfaction than others was in respect of the Internet home pages which are maintained for Members by the department. Seven per cent of Members responding to the survey were dissatisfied with the service. This was only a small group of Members. These Members generally wanted the home pages to be more substantive, to allow for immediate updates and postings by Members, and to allow easier access to Hansard and to press releases. A review of home pages hosted by the Parliament will be undertaken in 2000–2001.
The area of repairs and maintenance within Members’ suites and furniture relocation also had a dissatisfaction rate of 7%. This again represented only a small group of Members. Members who were dissatisfied commented, for example, that damage had been reported but action had not been taken in response, and that some furniture was inadequate for equipment, with broken shelves. The department will follow up all specific comments from the survey with Members or their offices.
Improving performance
Strategies for improving performance in the area of Members’ services that were pursued during the year included the development of service charters and commitment to high standards of performance, the seeking of feedback from Members, and the use of information technology to streamline and facilitate service provision.
Examples of improvements included the following.
The department remained committed to limiting its in-house work and placed work worth $370 000 with the local private printing sector during the year. This is in addition to the nearly $1.8 million of printing work that the department placed with the private sector across Australia on behalf of Members. A review of the pricing structure by KPMG resulted in the adoption of a new print management system. This will enable the department to better monitor pricing and workload and to continue to test its operations against the private sector.
Online ordering of the school certificates, which provide a memento for
school children of their visits to Parliament House, was introduced during
the year, to streamline service provision.
Outlook
In 2000–2001, the computing, telephony and audio-visual facilities for Members in Parliament House will be upgraded to take account of new technologies. An increasing number of Members are relying on technology in undertaking their duties. This will be further enhanced by the extension of remote and mobile access to the parliamentary computing network and the development of more online services.
The department will seek to develop its capacity to provide services by anticipating requirements and enhancing capabilities and systems to support requirements. It will also seek to gain the benefits of a ‘one stop shop’ approach to service delivery, and will examine the scope for any streamlining of service provision with related agencies.
Output Group 3 – Parliamentary Relations
Description
This output group comprises those outputs which aim to support productive inter-parliamentary relations for the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. The outputs contribute to the department’s sub-outcome: ‘Productive and amicable international and regional relationships with other parliaments, parliamentary bodies and organisations’. The Parliamentary Relations Office (PRO) in Program 4 primarily delivers this output group, but all the parliamentary departments contributed to the organisation of two international parliamentary conferences held during the year.
Actual expenses for the output group in 1999–2000 were $2.616m (budget $1.926m), reflecting provisions for international conferences in 2000 and 2001.
Table 4 Performance summary Output Group 3
| Number of official bilateral visits (incoming parliamentary delegations) to the Australian Parliament | 15 |
| Number of official bilateral visits (outgoing parliamentary delegations) to other parliaments | 15 |
|
Number of Memberships with other parliamentary bodies, organisations and Groups 1 |
56% of eligible Senators and Members were members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. 79% of eligible Senators and Members were members of the Australian National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. 60 parliamentary groups were formed under the auspices of the Australian National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. 53% of eligible Senators and Members were members of the Australian National Group of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. |
| Rate of satisfaction of Members with inter-parliamentary services | |
| Support for incoming and outgoing parliamentary delegations | 77%2 |
| Support for inter-parliamentary organisations | 67%3 |
| Passports and visas | 87%4 |
Notes
1 Membership of parliamentary bodies, organisations and groups is voluntary.
2 No dissatisfaction was reported. 20% of Members responding to the survey had not used the service, and 3% did not comment on the item.
3 2% dissatisfaction was reported. 26% of respondents had not used the service, and 5% did not comment on the item.
4 No dissatisfaction was reported. 10% of respondents had not used the service, and 3% did not comment on the item.
Discussion of performance
The primary focus continued to be the fostering of direct relationships between the Australian Parliament and parliaments of other countries. Programs were coordinated for 15 bilateral visits to other parliaments and a similar number of bilateral visits to the Australian Parliament from other parliaments. Support was also provided for participation of Senators and Members in eight inter-parliamentary conferences. Assistance was provided by the Parliament to facilitate participation by Senators and Members in a range of additional international activities such as providing election observers for the referendum in East Timor and a delegate for the 3rd Australia-China Human Rights Dialogue (see Appendix 8). It was also notable that the Australian Parliament was able to host a visit by an official delegation from the Indonesian Parliament, the first official visit to Australia by an Indonesian parliamentary delegation since 1993.
All administrative support for official incoming and outgoing parliamentary delegations was provided on time, with briefing meetings and documentation being provided to support the Parliament’s delegates in their contribution to conferences and representation of the Parliament and the nation’s interests in the course of bilateral visits. Performance details are provided in Appendix 2. The survey of Members indicated sound levels of satisfaction with inter-parliamentary service provision, as summarised in Table 4.
Programs were also arranged for visits to Australia by Members of other Parliaments and parliamentary officials (see Appendices 6 and 7 for details of official and unofficial incoming delegations, and Appendix 9 for details of visiting parliamentary officials). Programs targeted participants’ requested areas of interest and, where appropriate, included aspects to promote the interests of Australia. Feedback from participants, diplomatic representatives and third parties was very positive. A leader of an incoming delegation wrote:
…we are reassured that our two countries— in spite of the great geographical distance—have a lot in common…and I am of the opinion that the exchanges of views were beneficial for both sides…the program was an interesting mixture of learning about Australian politics and meeting its people…our visit convinced me that we should do the utmost to further strengthening of the relations between our countries.
There was also a considerable focus on the parliamentary relationship with Pacific parliaments through the Australian Parliament’s membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In particular the Australian Parliament sponsored a number of training activities for pacific parliamentarians and parliamentary staff. The Regional Secretary also assisted with a United Nations Development Program project focussed on good governance issues.
A notable outcome during the year was the very successful hosting by the Parliament of the 15th Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers and the 8th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. These conferences took place over a two-week period in January and were attended by over 400 delegates and accompanying persons representing 62 parliaments from around the world. The conferences, chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Neil Andrew MP, provided a valuable forum for parliamentarians from both the Commonwealth and the Asia Pacific region to meet and debate issues of international significance. Topics dealt with at the conferences included regional security, economic developments following the Asian financial crisis, reform of international financial architecture and debt relief for poor nations.
Feedback from delegates on the conference organisation and the contribution made by parliamentary staff was very positive, as reflected in comments in correspondence to the Clerk of the House, which included:
The enthusiasm and efficiency of your staff have enthralled me. There is much I learned from you, the organiser. The most important experience that I gained was that though there were some minor errors these were overshadowed by the charm that was displayed by your staff.
Compliments on excellent work … I would be grateful if you would convey my sincere appreciation to all those concerned.
The organisation was superb … Every function ran extremely smoothly, helped in particular by the very supportive staff.
The three staff in the department’s Conference Secretariat, Mr Trevor Rowe, Ms Margaret Atkin and Ms Celeste Italiano, were awarded Australia Day Medallions in recognition of their significant contribution.
The experience gained from these conferences will be applied next year in the hosting by the Australian Parliament of the 47th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in September 2001. Over 700 delegates, observers and accompanying persons are expected to register for this conference, to be hosted in the Commonwealth’s centenary year.
Improving performance
Developments during the year included the following.
Outlook
In 2000–2001, preparations for the 47th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be held in September 2001 will intensify. Subject to support from the other parliamentary departments, the first seminar for visiting parliamentary officials will be held in March–April 2001.
Work will also continue on the various administrative manuals, and the redevelopment of IT systems, with planned completion next year.
Output Group 4 – Committee Support
Description
This output group comprises those outputs associated with the provision of advice and support to the 23 House and joint parliamentary committees administered by the department. These outputs contribute to the sub-outcome: ‘Committees fulfil their role in the parliamentary consideration of policy and legislation and the scrutiny of government’.
The outputs are in two categories—the provision of general advisory and support services to committees not associated with specific inquiries and the provision of support services to committee inquiries. The Committee Office (Program 2) primarily supports this output group, with secretariat support for several internal or domestic committees being provided by other programs.
Actual expenses for the output group in 1999–2000 were $6.881m (budget $6.487m). A summary of the financial resources for the output group is provided in Table 1, p 11.
Table 5 Performance summary Output Group 4
| Number of inquiries conducted1 |
43 |
| Number of meeting hours held |
1 693 |
| Number of submissions |
3 193 |
| Number of witnesses |
2 185 |
| Number of reports tabled |
74 |
| Percentage of committee recommendations reflected in amendments to Government policy and administration2 |
49% |
| Rate of satisfaction of Members with Committee services | |
| Advice on committee procedure and practice |
90% |
| Promotion of inquiries and committee activities |
80% |
| Organisation of committee meetings and hearings |
89% |
| Quality of committee meetings and hearings |
89% |
| Drafting of reports |
92% |
| General support of committee activities |
82% |
Notes
1 The number of inquiries is the number of full year equivalent inquiries.
2 The percentage of committee recommendations reflected in amendments to Government policy and administration has been taken to be the percentage of the total recommendations which were accepted in whole or in part by Government in responses tabled during the financial year regardless of when the report responded to was tabled.
Discussion of performance
As this is the first year in which measures have been reported, it is difficult to discuss performance in the context of previous years. However, the indicators and performance measures, as summarised in Table 5 and detailed in Appendix 2, point to a very active year for committees with a strong performance by secretariats.
Impact of committee work
The work of committees has an important impact on the community as the community is able to participate in inquiries and the recommendations of committees can result in changes to government policies and programs. Consistent with 1999–2000 as a year in the middle of a Parliament, committee activity has been very high. The number of reports tabled increased from 51 in 1998-99 to 74 in 1999–2000 and the number of meetings held increased from 457 to 859. The number of meeting hours, 1 693, also reflects the strong level of activity among committees. The active participation of the community in committee inquiries is reflected in the number of submissions made to committees during the year (3 193) and the number of witnesses who gave evidence to committees (2 185). These figures represent on average approximately 77 submissions and 53 witnesses per full year equivalent inquiry. Details of committee activity and committee reports and inquiries are set out in Appendices 4 and 5.
One measure of the impact which committee reports have on the wider community is the change that results from the implementation of their recommendations. An indication of this is given by the extent to which governments accept the recommendations of committee reports. Of the 465 recommendations responded to in 1999–2000, 49% were accepted in whole or in part by the Government. This reflects the positive impact that the work of committees had, especially given the sensitivity of some recommendations. However, the lack of comparative data makes longer term conclusions difficult to draw.
Satisfaction of clients
As the work of committee secretariats is focussed on supporting the members of parliamentary committees, the satisfaction of committee members with these services provides a key indication of the value of the services. The survey of Members showed a high level of satisfaction of Members with the services provided by secretariats. In the annual report for 1998–99, the results of a survey of chairs and deputy chairs was reported. That survey showed levels of satisfaction ranging from 75% to 95% with the services provided by secretariats. The overall ratings of satisfaction of 80% to 92% in the most recent survey of Members demonstrates that our primary clients continue to find that committee support services are largely meeting their needs.
One area in which the survey of Members demonstrated a lower level of satisfaction than with most others was the overall support for committee activities. Ten percent of Members were dissatisfied with overall support. This was only a small group of Members. The primary concern they had was that resources provided to committees were insufficient or there was some instability in staffing of secretariats. Resources to committees were reduced in 1996 as a result of budgetary cutbacks across the department. Since then, additional research resources have been engaged to boost the research capacity of committees. However, the perception of some Members about inadequate staffing is important. The issue of more effective ways of staffing committees will be explored in the coming year. The provision of greater predictability and continuity in staffing was identified as one way of addressing some of the concerns of committee members. There may also be some flexible ways of meeting the staffing needs of committees within overall resource constraints.
In addition to supporting our primary clients, the committee members, services also were provided to the general community and those who deal with committees. While their levels of satisfaction were not assessed directly, the low level of complaints about services indicates a general satisfaction with the services provided.
Improving performance
While there was general satisfaction with committee support outputs, there was focus during the year on enhancing performance.
Information technology continues to be used as a tool to provide more efficient and effective support. The principal system for managing committee information, the Committee Information Management System (CIMS), was redeveloped both to make it Y2K compliant and to enhance its capability. The new version of CIMS was successfully introduced in late 1999. A Word 97 template for the production of committee reports was implemented, resulting in common practices across committees for the preparation of reports. Further refinements were made to electronic publishing capabilities, including responding to client feedback by making reports available as a single PDF document. A survey was conducted of secretariat staff usage of ISYS (a search engine for indexing and retrieving a large variety of file formats) as a research tool. Efforts will be made to promote the use of ISYS for research purposes.
Knowledge about, and common application of, committee procedure and practice is essential to providing a professional and high quality service to committees. The Manual of Committee Office Practice and Procedure, originally developed in 1996, was revised and published electronically. The manual is now more accessible, can be searched and can be readily updated providing a more useful tool for staff.
The Committee Office developed two statements of service standards. One statement was directed to Members and the other to the community. Both statements represent a commitment by staff of the department to provide high quality support services to committees. They also represent a means by which committee members can assess the services provided.
Complementing the service standards, the Committee Office also developed questionnaires and forms seeking feedback from committee members. Chairs and deputy chairs of committees supported by the department were provided with the opportunity to complete the questionnaire in an interview with the Clerk Assistant (Committees). The results from this survey will be reported next year. Committee members will be asked periodically by their secretariats about the services provided to them. Usually such surveys will take place immediately after the services have been provided (for example, immediately after a committee’s consideration of a report in the case of report drafting). The aim is to continually evaluate and improve services. Overall results from this feedback will be reported next year.
A strategy to promote the work of committees and enhance community participation in the work of committees was implemented during the year. The strategy included:
A formal evaluation has not been made of the impact of the changes. However, media coverage of committee activities increased and informal feedback from committee members and the community indicated that the strategy to promote committee activities was increasing awareness of the work of committees. Further information on these initiatives is provided under Output Group 6.
Outlook
As foreshadowed earlier in the report, there will be examination of the ways in which the staffing needs of committees can be met most effectively within resource constraints. The amalgamation of secretariats has enabled staff to be deployed more flexibly to committees. Other more flexible mechanisms also will be explored.
Benchmarking of secretariat work will continue. Two benchmarking projects—on the preparation and distribution of briefing papers and the initiation of inquiries—are planned during the year. These projects will enable the better practices of secretariats to be implemented across all committee secretariats.
The focus on promoting the work of committees also will continue. In addition to pursuing existing initiatives, planning has commenced on an exhibition of the work of committees to be held in Parliament House in 2002.
The feedback obtained from committee members as a result of surveys and informal comment also will be used to refine the services provided to support committee work.
Output Group 5 – Security
Description
This output group comprises those outputs contributing to the department’s sub-outcome: ‘A secure and accessible Parliament for the people of Australia’. This department and the Department of the Senate have joint policy, operational and funding responsibility for the provision of parliamentary security services. Protective security for the external precincts and the Executive Wing is provided under contract to the Parliament by the Australian Protective Service.
Actual expenses for the output group in 1999-2000 were $10.493m (budget $10.309m). A summary of the financial resources for the output is provided in Table 1, p 11.
Table 6 Performance summary Output Group 5
| Number of visits by members of the public to Parliament House | Over 1.14m |
| Number of visits by foreign dignitaries | 93 |
| Number of external events managed | 141 |
| Number of exclusions and prohibited weapons detected |
11 284 items; 14 items seized unconditionally |
| Rate of satisfaction of Members with security and access control arrangements in Parliament House | 87% |
Discussion of Performance
The year under review was, in certain respects, a difficult one for the parliamentary security service (PSS). Several security incidents tested command and control arrangements and established procedures and protocols. While internal reviews found that the appropriateness and timeliness of security responses were commensurate with the specific circumstances of the incidents, the scope and nature of the incidents underscored the necessity to review the threats and vulnerabilities that confront the Commonwealth Parliament as it approaches its centenary. To this end the Presiding Officers initiated a review of protective security and related organisational and administrative arrangements. The review and related recommendations are expected to be finalised in 2001.
The year was also one of transition. The passage of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999, the implementation of the People Plus action agenda and, importantly, the negotiations which were nearing finalisation at year end between the department and staff representatives for a revised PSS certified agreement, witnessed a shift toward a more flexible and team oriented security service. Mr Michael Lucas will continue his secondment from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to the position as Security Controller to oversee these changes.
Provision of advice
The Office of the Security Controller provided written advice to the Presiding Officers on 108 occasions during 1999–2000. The advice related to security arrangements for visiting internationally protected persons and other high profile visits to the Parliament by foreign dignitaries, security incidents, protective security policy issues and summaries of security intelligence information. The Presiding Officers generally accepted the Security Controller’s recommendations without qualification.
External precincts
Protests, demonstrations and other community based activities within the external precincts increased over the previous reporting period with some 141 events occurring during the year (104 events 1998–99). Security related events ranged from single person vigils to large, noisy and sometimes rowdy groups. The common thread linking all events was a desire of the participants to draw public support and media attention to their cause.
Whilst most protest activity was conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner, there were occasions when the protest activity and the behaviour of individuals became highly charged and there were displays of aggressive behaviour and other strong emotions. Disruptive and disorderly behaviour was, nevertheless, managed by security staff: there were no breaches of the peace occasioning the involvement of the AFP and there was not any untoward interference with the functioning of the Parliament.
There were, however, three significant security incidents during the year.
The first occurred on the night of 11–12 July 1999 when an explosive device was thrown at the ceremonial doors of Parliament House. Damage was minimal, and the person involved was subsequently convicted and sentenced to a period of imprisonment.
The second incident occurred when four protesters connected with a demonstration relating to Indonesian military involvement in East Timor, gained access to the roof of the Great Verandah and vandalised the front of the building with spray paint. The protestors were later found guilty of the offences and ordered to pay reparation for the damage involved.
Thirdly, in the early hours of 26 July 1999 a body was found in an internal courtyard. The investigation conducted by the AFP and the subsequent coronial inquiry established that the death was the result of a fall from the roof area of the building. There were no suspicious circumstances and no adverse findings recorded. Nevertheless, certain works were carried out in the roof area by the Joint House Department (JHD), following consultations with Comcare.
There were also a number of incidents of petty theft within the external precincts, primarily relating to the theft of property from motor vehicles parked in the external public car parks adjacent to the Executive Wing of Parliament House. Strategies put in place by the Office of the Security Controller, together with AFP community policing crime prevention operations and the JHD, have significantly reduced the incidence of petty theft in the external precincts.
Building security
Over 1 140 000 visitors to the Parliament (1 039 000 in 1998–99) passed through the security screening procedures at the main public entrance to Parliament House during the year. As part of this process 11 284 items (10 065 in 1998–99) with the potential to cause injury or otherwise breach the good order of Parliament House were held for the duration of the owner’s visit to the Parliament. Fourteen of these items (19 in 1998–99) were seized unconditionally as breaching the provisions of the Weapons Act 1991 (ACT).
During the year all security baggage X-ray equipment was replaced following an extensive evaluation process. The contract for the replacement equipment was signed in January 2000 and the equipment installed in June. The replacement baggage X-ray equipment is configured with automatic explosive detection software and threat image projection software, now considered as industry standard. A pallet-capable X-ray machine for use in the goods loading dock at Parliament House was also ordered, for delivery and commissioning next year. Works associated with the upgrade of the security closed circuit television system continued and the security intercom system was replaced. Changes to the audio management components of the radio communications network were also initiated.
The Parliament House Photographic Pass Office conducted a wide variety of pass audits during the course of the financial year. Over 1 300 long-term passes were cancelled for non-compliance with the Presiding Officers’ guidelines or expiry. The issue of a similar number of new passes offset this number during the year. At year’s end the number of long-term passes on issue stood at 6 700 - a number roughly equivalent to the number on issue during 1998–99. The Pass Office processed some 104 000 visitor passes, 35 000 function passes and 5 100 short-term temporary passes during the period, an increase on the transaction volumes in the previous year.
The incidence of theft within the building increased over the past twelve months with a total of 26 incidents reported (17 incidents in 1998–99). (This includes the theft of property from motor vehicles referred to previously.) The thefts, primarily of electronic equipment and components, occurred despite efforts to heighten security awareness on the part of parliamentary staff.
Chamber security
There were a number of occasions when visitors to the public galleries of the House of Representatives Chamber attempted to conduct protest activity. However, the incidents were well managed and did not impinge upon proceedings in the Chamber.
In June 2000, the Clerk of the House and the Serjeant-at-Arms gave a number of briefing sessions to PSS staff on the standing orders of the House, their application in terms of the maintenance of good order in the public galleries and the rights and obligations of visitors.
Security of Executive Wing
High-profile visits to the Parliament during 1999–2000 by internationally protected persons included the visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the President of the People’s Republic of China, the Secretary General of the United Nations, and the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and Fiji. The visits were conducted successfully from a protective security perspective.
There were no significant security incidents within the Executive Wing. However, maintenance of operational standards was made difficult on a number of occasions because of industrial action by Australian Protective Service staff. In the absence of these staff, PSS staff provided security services for the occupants of the Executive Wing and members of the AFP provided external security services.
Benchmarking of the security service
The benchmarking activities outlined in the 1998–99 annual report continued during the year. Benchmarking partners included State parliaments and private sector and government organisations where security needs were important.
Although there was little in the way of substantive comparable performance data in the security industry as a whole, the benchmarking process identified good practices for adaptation and integration with PSS practices and procedures.
The most significant was the team-based approach to protective security management, which was developed and incorporated into the proposed PSS certified agreement. Other developments included enhancement of the electronic security pass system and emergency evacuation procedures and the provision of nationally accredited operational skills training for security staff (70 staff participated and received certificates).
Outlook
The year in prospect contains significant commitments to the review of security arrangements initiated by the Presiding Officers, to security planning issues associated with sittings of the Parliament in Melbourne in May 2001 to commemorate the centenary of Federation, and to implementation of the proposed new PSS certified agreement. The replacement of obsolescent security assets will again be accorded a high priority in 2000–2001.
Output Group 6 – Parliamentary Awareness
Description
This output group comprises those outputs of parliamentary education, provision of information and community liaison which contribute to achievement of the sub-outcome: ‘Community understanding of and interaction with the work of the House of Representatives and the Commonwealth Parliament’. The Liaison and Projects and Chamber Research Offices in Program 4 and the Serjeant-at-Arms’ Office in Program 3 contribute principally to this output group. The department also jointly funds the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) that is staffed by the Department of the Senate and is reported on in its annual report.
Actual expenses for the output group in 1999–2000 were $1.289m (budget $1.243m). A summary of the financial resources for the output group is provided in Table 1, p 11.
Table 7 Performance summary Output Group 6
| Number of students visiting Parliament House under the schools visit program | 104 688 students from 3 140 schools |
| Number of students visiting Parliament House under the Citizenship Visits Program |
13 816 students from 481 schools Expenditure $940 360 |
| Number of attendees at seminars | 674 |
| Number of awareness raising documents issued | Five |
| Rate of satisfaction of Members with support provided for school visits | 89% |
| Rate of satisfaction of seminar participants with seminars | 96% |
Discussion of performance
Community liaison
In 1998 the department decided to give greater priority to media and communications strategies in order to raise community understanding of and interaction with the work of the House. This included the establishment of the Liaison and Projects Office. During 1999–2000, the outcomes of these decisions began to be realised.
Publications
The department has developed two new publications to provide information for the public about the House and its committees.
A community guide to the House entitled Your Key to the House provides useful information about the House for the general public. Demand for the guide has been significant, with more than 26 000 copies distributed throughout Australia since November 1999.
A magazine, About the House, which was launched in November 1999 includes news and feature articles on the work of the House and its committees, and helps to show the scope of work being undertaken by the House. The magazine is published five times a year and is available both in hard copy and online. In just six months, the distribution has grown from 6 000 to 13 000 copies. The magazine is distributed through Members’ offices and Qantas Club at Canberra airport and by direct mail to libraries, universities, business, community organisations, State parliaments, State and federal government agencies, media, lobbyists and interested individuals.
Feedback to date has been positive with the following being examples of comments received:
About the House is terrific! The new format and publication is quite unexpected and by far the best thing that I have seen since I was first elected. Congratulations on what you have done and I trust the high standard you have set will continue.
(Hon Alan Cadman MP, Federal Member for Mitchell)
We here at NRMA Government and Regulatory Affairs have found your first issue (of About the House) to be excellent—a most useful resource.
(NRMA Government and Regulatory Affairs)
Congratulations on your very useful publication: About the House. We have received a copy for the library and would like to continue receiving it.
(Western Australia Parliamentary Library)
This publication (About the House) is a great way to keep experienced and interested executives in touch with their National Capital.
(Neville Whiffen, North Sydney)
The use of Members’ electorate offices as distribution outlets for the publications helped to ensure their wide distribution and reinforced the representative role of Members.
Media liaison
The employment of a media and communications adviser assisted committees to generate increased media coverage of their inquiries and reports. Committees had access to expert advice on coordinating a communications and media strategy, including preparation of media releases, organising of press conferences and liaison with the media to optimise the coverage of inquiry announcements, public hearings and report tablings. Importantly, links with the Press Gallery in Parliament House were strengthened significantly.
Through this more strategic and innovative approach, House of Representatives committees and joint committees supported by this department featured more regularly in metropolitan, suburban and regional media (including television, radio and print). This in turn prompted greater public interest in individual inquiries that had been reported in the media.
As well as generating better media coverage for committees, the media and communications adviser helped to develop the media skills of departmental staff through on-the-job media and communications training and the development of practical guides and tools for dealing with the media. Media skills workshops for staff will be conducted in 2000–2001.
Improved advertising and promotional initiatives
The department redesigned its advertising of committee inquiries with the aim of ensuring that committee inquiries get noticed and get responses. As the purpose of the advertisements was to encourage public input to committee investigations, the theme ‘Have your say’ was selected for the advertisements, which used simpler messages in plain English.
The new advertising format was trialed when the House Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee launched an inquiry into human cloning. It paid immediate dividends, with more than 60 responses from the public the day after the advertisement, and the advertisement featured in the lead article of a television program. As a result of that success, the new style has been adopted for all corporate advertising.
Supplementing the committee advertising was a new monthly information advertisement ‘What’s happening at your House?’ that appears on page 2 of The Australian on the first Wednesday of each month (except January). It was praised by the Procedure Committee for helping to promote the work of the House to the community. By year end, it was being forwarded to over 30 Members for use in their own electorate material, providing broad community coverage of the issues raised in the advertisement. Each time the advertisement was placed, a range of public queries was generated.
To promote the corporate identity of the House of Representatives, the department adopted a design element, the aim being that it would, over time, become easily recognisable as the symbol of the House. The new ‘logo’, which symbolises the House of Representatives Chamber, features in the department’s publications, advertising and corporate signage. It will continue to be a key element in developing the identity of the House within the community.
The department also promoted the House of Representatives web site as a useful vehicle for people to keep up to date with the work of the House. A pamphlet providing a guide to the site was completed and distributed throughout Australia. A redevelopment of the web site will be undertaken next year to highlight newsworthy items and to help first time users better navigate around the site.
Seminars
The seminar program established in 1997 continued during the year. Fifteen seminars were conducted including About the House, About Legislation, About Parliamentary Consideration of the Budget and About Committees. In addition, the department conducted seminars for specific target groups within a number of external organisations. One seminar was provided outside Canberra. All seminars required a significant investment of staff time to ensure the design, content and delivery of such seminars was appropriate to the changing needs of participants. The involvement of Members in the seminars was a popular feature of the series. The seminars were conducted on a cost recovery basis.
There were 674 participants in the seminars during the year with 34% of those attending completing evaluations. Of those, 96% expressed satisfaction with the seminar they had attended. The following comments are representative of the feedback received:
The simple fact is that the course delivered exactly what I was looking for – interestingly and informatively presented. I am much better informed for the experience.
A wealth of information but explained so clearly it was not overwhelming at all. I was most impressed by the session.
Good at getting you to think about how you should be involved (in the parliamentary process).
The department also continued its involvement as a presenter in the seminar series for senior executives in the Australian Public Service (APS) on the accountability of public servants and their rights and responsibilities in their relationship with Parliament and parliamentary committees in particular. This series was conducted by the Public Service and Merit Protection Commission in conjunction with this department, the Department of the Senate, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Attorney-General’s Department.
Marketing Award
The department’s efforts in promoting the work of the House to the community were recognised when it won the Australian Marketing Institute’s 2000 Marketing Leadership Award for the Australian Capital Territory. The award was part of the Australian Marketing Institute’s 2000 National Public Sector Awards for Marketing Excellence.
Parliamentary education
As part of its role in supporting parliamentary education, the department continued to provide advice to the PEO on the content of its educational publications. The department sought to strengthen its links with the PEO and other areas providing information to the public such as the Parliamentary Guide service, aiming to achieve synergies in the promotion of the work of the House. The contribution by the department—involving a one-day seminar program—to the induction program for new parliamentary guides, was continued during the year.
Links between the PEO and House committees were strengthened, helping to ensure that the work of the House and its committees was reflected appropriately in the PEO programs for teachers and students. One specific result was the attendance of a large number of secondary school economics students at one of the biannual meetings of the House Economics Committee with the Governor of the Reserve Bank, with benefits for all parties. The PEO contributed articles to the department’s About the House magazine, and reference to PEO activities was included in the department’s monthly advertisement.
School visits
The department, through the Serjeant-at-Arms’ Office, has continued to coordinate school visits to Parliament House and to administer the Citizenship Visits Program.
A total of 104 688 students visited Parliament House during the year (94 117 in 1998–99), a 10.1% increase. Bookings continued to be made well in advance when schools wished to visit at particular times, sometimes up to 12 months in advance. Bookings for the months of August, September and October remained heavy and, for these months, most schools were arranging their bookings for tours and PEO programs 12 months in advance. A comparison of visit numbers by State and Territory is presented in Table 8.
As part of school visits, hospitality was provided to students so that they had the opportunity to meet their local Member of Parliament over refreshments during their visits to Parliament House. During the year 54 862 students from 1 653 schools received hospitality at a total cost of $109 724.
Table 8 School Bookings - Gallery Tour Statistics 1999–2000
| State/Territory |
Schools |
Students |
Average |
| New South Wales |
2 023 |
70 009 |
34.6 |
| Victoria |
521 |
17 039 |
32.7 |
| Queensland |
280 |
8 803 |
31.4 |
| South Australia |
80 |
2 037 |
25.4 |
| Western Australia |
50 |
1 429 |
28.5 |
| Tasmania |
37 |
884 |
23.8 |
| Australian Capital Territory |
133 |
4 134 |
31.0 |
| Northern Territory |
11 |
209 |
19.0 |
| Other1 |
5 |
144 |
28.8 |
| Total |
3 140 |
104 688 |
33.3 |
Note
1 Schools where State/Territory details were not available.
Source: Departmental records
Citizenship Visits Program
Through the Citizenship Visits Program, the department continued to assist final year primary and secondary school students visiting Canberra as part of an organised school visit. Under the program, a subsidy is payable to those students attending a school located more than 1 000 kilometres by road from Canberra. The program is jointly funded by the department and the Department of the Senate.
There was a small change in the guidelines for the program during the year. The change provided additional flexibility to accommodate students who, but for the nature of their schooling (eg, School of the Air or home schooling students) or the frequency of visits by their schools, would be eligible for the program.
During the year 13 816 students came from 481 schools compared with 12 392 students from 487 schools in 1998–1999. (These figures are included in the school visit figures reported in Table 8.) Expenditure under the program for 1999–2000 was $940 360, an increase of 12.9% on the 1998–1999 expenditure of $832 960.
Over 66% of the students participating in the program came from Queensland, with 8 052 students from that State receiving the subsidy.
Parliamentary Internship Program
The internship program operates under an agreement between the Australian National University and the Presiding Officers. Its purpose is to provide internship placements of eight to ten weeks’ duration in the Parliament for Australian and foreign university students. In 1999–2000, 38 students were placed with Senators, Members, parliamentary committees, or departmental staff. The department, with the Department of the Senate, conducted orientation seminars for the parliamentary and other interns. The internship program continues to be seen as providing students with an invaluable first-hand experience of the federal parliamentary system of government of this country. In doing so, the program complements, in a unique and challenging way, students’ academic studies.
Centenary of Federation
Next year will mark the centenary of Federation and the centenary of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, and work was progressed during the year on the department’s centenary projects. These included:
The department also contributed to an exhibition on the first Parliament, which is being coordinated by the Department of the Senate.
Preliminary planning
was undertaken, in conjunction with the Parliament’s centenary coordinator,
the Department of the Senate and officials from the Legislative Council and Legislative
Assembly in Victoria, for the commemoration of the first sitting of the Commonwealth
Parliament. The House of Representatives will meet at the Royal Exhibition Buildings
in Melbourne on
9 May 2001 and Parliament House in Melbourne on 10 May 2001
to commemorate the first sitting of the Commonwealth Parliament on 9 and 10 May
1901. The Speaker, in conjunction with the President of the Senate, the President
of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, are to
make the necessary arrangements for the commemorative sittings.
Outlook
The centenary of Federation will become a major focus of departmental effort in 2000 and 2001, with the department’s centenary projects to be progressed or finalised in the coming year. The centenary will impact on the Parliament’s education programs, with the number of school children visiting Parliament House expected to increase significantly in 2001. Work will be undertaken to ensure that all visitors are accommodated appropriately, House related displays are up-to-date and appropriate information brochures are available for visitors.
The centenary year will provide an important opportunity to help improve community understanding of the House and its work, and the promotional work pursued in 1999–2000 will be furthered. The design of the House’s web site and the content provided will be reviewed and additional online services will be provided. Media skills workshops will be conducted to further develop the media and communications skills of departmental staff.
Work will also commence on investigating the long-term storage and accessibility of the department’s photograph collection.
| Previous |
