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 Scott Ryan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Tony Smith MP, were the Presiding Officers of the Parliament at 30 June 2018.
In addition to their procedural roles in the Chambers, the Presiding Officers are responsible for the provision of services to the Parliament. 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.
The appointment of the previous Commissioner, Mr John Lloyd, ceased on 8 August 2018. My appointment commenced 9 August 2018.
Ms Linda Waugh is the Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner (Merit Protection Commissioner). Her appointment is for a five year term beginning on 25 June 2018. Ms Waugh also holds the office of the 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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