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Ch6 The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and officers / POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES / Administrative / Parliamentary administration



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House of Representatives                                Ch 6                                                 p 178

 

The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and officers / POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES / Administrative

 

Parliamentary administration

For many purposes the Speaker is in effect ‘Minister’ for the Department of the House of Representatives and jointly with the President of the Senate is ‘Minister’ for the Department of Parliamentary Services. Certain Acts refer to the Minister administering the department concerned. For such purposes the Speaker is considered to be the Minister administering the Department of the House of Representatives.

The powers and functions of a Presiding Officer under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 parallel those of a Minister in relation to an executive government department under the Public Service Act 1999 . Under the provisions of the Parliamentary Service Act the Presiding Officers are no longer involved in everyday administrative matters, which are the responsibility of the Clerks of the two Houses, and the departmental secretary in relation to the joint department. For the purposes of the Financial Management and Accountability Act ‘Minister’ is defined to include a Presiding Officer. The Act authorises the Presiding Officers to approve expenditure under an appropriation for a parliamentary department. 1

The Parliamentary Service Act and the administration and staff of the Department of the House of Representatives are discussed in more detail at p. 204.

The Speaker (or the Speaker and the President), may respond to committee recommendations concerning matters within the Speaker’s (Presiding Officers’) responsibility. 2



Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, ss. 5, 36.



H.R. Deb. (1.4.2004) 28010.