Introduction

The Parliamentary Service was established with the commencement of the Parliamentary Service Act (the PS Act) on 5 December 1999.

The President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Tony Smith MP, were the Presiding Officers of the Parliament at 30 June 2016. Mr Smith was appointed Speaker on 10 August 2015, replacing the Hon Mrs Bronwyn Bishop MP.

In addition to their procedural roles in the Chambers, the Presiding Officers are responsible for the operation and 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 Department of the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) and the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS).

The role of the Presiding Officers in relation to the parliamentary departments is similar to the role of a Minister in relation to a department of state.

My appointment as Commissioner is for a term ending on 13 December 2019. I also hold the office of Australian Public Service Commissioner until that date.

Ms Annwyn Godwin is the Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner (Merit Protection Commissioner). Her appointment is to 24 January 2018. Ms Godwin also holds the office of Australian Public Service Merit Protection Commissioner concurrently.

There are no specific appropriations for the offices of the Commissioner or the Merit Protection Commissioner.

 

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