Introduction
The Parliamentary Service was established with the commencement of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 (the Parliamentary Service Act) on 5 December 1999.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP, and the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, were the Presiding Officers of the Parliament at 30 June 2015. Senator Parry was elected President on 7 July 2014, replacing Senator the Hon John Hogg.
In addition to their procedural and other roles in relation to the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, the Presiding Officers are responsible for administration of the four parliamentary departments which comprise the Parliamentary Service. They have individual responsibility, respectively, for the Department of the Senate and the Department of the House of Representatives and joint responsibility for the Parliamentary Budget Office and the Department of Parliamentary Services.
The role of the Presiding Officers in relation to the parliamentary departments is similar, but not identical, to that of a Minister administering an executive department.
The Hon John Lloyd PSM is the Parliamentary Service Commissioner (Commissioner). Mr Lloyd was appointed to the office by the Presiding Officers on 16 December 2014, replacing Mr Stephen Sedgwick AO, FIPAA. Mr Lloyd’s appointment is to 13 December 2019. He also holds the office of Australian Public Service Commissioner until that date.
Ms Annwyn Godwin is the Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner (Merit Protection Commissioner). Ms Godwin’s appointment is to 24 January 2018. She also holds the office of Public Service Merit Protection Commissioner concurrently.
There are no specific appropriations for the offices of the Commissioner and the Merit Protection Commissioner.
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