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House of Representatives                                Ch 15                                                 p 534

To Parliamentary Secretaries

It is considered that Ministers alone are responsible and answerable to Parliament for the actions of their departments. Even though the Ministers of State and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2000 provided for the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries to administer Departments of State, the standing orders do not provide for Parliamentary Secretaries to be questioned on matters of government administration. Standing order 98 specifically excludes the asking of questions of Parliamentary Secretaries. ¹ Additionally, as Parliamentary Secretaries could be in charge of government business in the House without ultimately being responsible for it, they may not be questioned under the provision of standing order 99 applying to questions to private Members ( see below ). This exclusion makes Parliamentary Secretaries the only Members of whom questions cannot be asked under any circumstances. This is not to suggest that there is no accountability to the House, for the relevant Ministers may be questioned about matters in which Parliamentary Secretaries have been involved ² and a Parliamentary Secretary’s conduct can be challenged by substantive motion. ³ A Minister who has been a Parliamentary Secretary may not be asked questions directly about actions taken as a Parliamentary Secretary. ⁴ However, if a Minister has made a statement or given information, as a Minister, about actions taken as a Parliamentary Secretary, questions which refer to such statements or information may be permitted. ⁵

VP 1993-95/25.

E.g. H.R. Deb. (9.12.2004) 77; H.R. Deb. (9.3.2005) 81.

H.R. Deb. (6.12.2004) 38.

VP 2004-05/95; H.R. Deb. (2.12.2004) 79; (6.12.2004) 38.

E.g. H.R. Deb. (8.12.2004) 68-71; (9.12.2004) 68-74; (9.3.2005) 76, 78.