The Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce met on 18 May 2023.
The Taskforce welcomed the establishment of the Staff Consultation Group and noted the group has been consulted on the design of the new statutory Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS). The Taskforce is prioritising a collaborative approach to the development of draft legislation to establish the new statutory service later this year, with further consultation to occur ahead of the introduction of the Bill into Parliament.
The Taskforce noted progress to implement recommendations from the recent review of the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984. Views are being sought from Members and the Staff Consultation Group on the proposed amendments.
The Taskforce agreed that the effectiveness of the Set the Standard reforms be reviewed 18 months after the commencement of the new statutory PWSS. Commencing the review after the full implementation of the recommendations, including the establishment of the PWSS as a statutory body and other significant structural changes, will allow it to better assess the impact of reforms.
The next meeting will be held in late June 2023.
A progress report on recommendations can be found in a refreshed Implementation Tracker – 18 May 2023.