Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

[Index] [Table] [Search] [Search this Act] [Notes] [Noteup] [Download] [Help]

PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE ACT 1999 - NOTES

Act No. 145 of 1999 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 15 February 2012
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 170 of 2011

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney-General's Department, Canberra

  

  

  


Contents

Part 1--Preliminary                                                                                                              1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ........................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Objects of this Act .............................................................................. 1

4............ This Act binds the Crown ................................................................... 1

5............ This Act extends to things outside Australia ....................................... 2

6............ Engagement of employees in a Department ......................................... 2

Part 2--Interpretation                                                                                                         3

7............ Interpretation ....................................................................................... 3

8............ Relationship with Fair Work Acts ....................................................... 8

Part 3--The Australian Parliamentary Service                                                   9

9............ Constitution of the Australian Parliamentary Service .......................... 9

10.......... Parliamentary Service Values .............................................................. 9

11.......... Commissioner must give advice to Presiding Officers about Parliamentary Service Values     10

12.......... Secretaries must promote Parliamentary Service Values ................... 11

13.......... The Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct ..................................... 11

14.......... Secretaries bound by Code of Conduct ............................................. 12

15.......... Breaches of the Code of Conduct ...................................................... 12

16.......... Protection for whistleblowers ........................................................... 13

17.......... Prohibition on patronage and favouritism ......................................... 14

17A....... Application of sections 16 and 17 to the Parliamentary Librarian ..... 14

18.......... Promotion of employment equity ...................................................... 14

19.......... Restrictions on directions to Clerks ................................................... 14

Part 4--Parliamentary Service employees and the Parliamentary Librarian       15

Division 1--Parliamentary Service employees generally                        15

20.......... General directions to Secretaries ....................................................... 15

21.......... Employer powers etc. of Secretary .................................................... 16

22.......... Engagement of Parliamentary Service employees ............................. 16

23.......... Classification Rules ........................................................................... 17

24.......... Remuneration and other conditions ................................................... 18

25.......... Assignment of duties ........................................................................ 19

26.......... Mobility between Parliamentary Service and Public Service ............. 19

26A....... Rights of ongoing employees when engaged as non-ongoing employees of the other service 20

27.......... Compulsory moves between Parliamentary Departments and between the Parliamentary Service and the Australian Public Service ................................................................................... 21

28.......... Suspension ........................................................................................ 21

29.......... Termination of employment .............................................................. 22

30.......... Retirement ......................................................................................... 22

31.......... Forfeiture of additional remuneration ................................................ 23

32.......... Right of return for election candidates ............................................... 23

33.......... Review of actions .............................................................................. 24

Division 2--The Senior Executive Service                                                       26

34.......... SES employees ................................................................................. 26

35.......... Constitution and role of SES ............................................................. 26

36.......... Commissioner's guidelines on SES matters ...................................... 26

37.......... Incentive to retire ............................................................................... 26

38.......... Commissioner's certificate required for termination of SES employment                 27

Division 3--Parliamentary Librarian                                                                28

38A....... Parliamentary Librarian ..................................................................... 28

38B....... Functions of Parliamentary Librarian ................................................ 28

38C....... Appointment of Parliamentary Librarian ........................................... 28

38D....... Termination of appointment of Parliamentary Librarian .................... 29

38E........ Remuneration and other conditions of appointment .......................... 29

38F........ Acting Parliamentary Librarian ......................................................... 30

38G....... Resources for the Parliamentary Librarian ........................................ 30

38H....... Reporting to Library Committee ........................................................ 31

38I......... Copyright .......................................................................................... 31

Part 5--The Parliamentary Service Commissioner                                         32

Division 1--Commissioner's functions etc.                                                      32

39.......... Parliamentary Service Commissioner ................................................ 32

40.......... Commissioner's functions ................................................................ 32

41.......... Commissioner's inquiry powers ....................................................... 32

42.......... Annual report .................................................................................... 32

Division 2--Commissioner's appointment, conditions etc.                      34

43.......... Appointment of Commissioner ......................................................... 34

44.......... Remuneration and other conditions of appointment .......................... 34

45.......... Removal from office ......................................................................... 34

46.......... Acting Commissioner ....................................................................... 35

Part 6--The Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner 36

Division 1--Merit Protection Commissioner's functions etc.                36

47.......... Parliamentary Service Merit Protection Commissioner ..................... 36

48.......... Merit Protection Commissioner's functions ...................................... 36

49.......... Annual report .................................................................................... 37

Division 2--Merit Protection Commissioner's appointment, conditions etc.       38

50.......... Appointment of Merit Protection Commissioner .............................. 38

51.......... Remuneration and other conditions of appointment .......................... 38

52.......... Removal from office ......................................................................... 38

53.......... Acting Merit Protection Commissioner ............................................. 39

Part 7--Departments and Secretaries                                                                      40

Division 1--Departments other than the Parliamentary Budget Office                 40

53A....... Interpretation ..................................................................................... 40

54.......... Departments ...................................................................................... 40

54A....... Change of name of Department ......................................................... 41

54B....... Abolition of Department ................................................................... 41

55.......... Offices of Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives                41

56.......... Office of Secretary of a Department .................................................. 42

57.......... Responsibility for managing Department .......................................... 42

58.......... Appointment of Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives       42

59.......... Appointment of Secretary of a Department ....................................... 43

60.......... Termination of appointment of Clerk of the Senate or Clerk of the House of Representatives 43

61.......... Termination of appointment of Secretary of a Department ................ 44

62.......... Suspension of Clerk of the Senate or Clerk of the House of Representatives           44

63.......... Remuneration and other conditions of appointment .......................... 45

64.......... Acting Secretary ................................................................................ 45

Division 2--Parliamentary Budget Office                                                        47

Subdivision A--Establishment, functions etc.                                                    47

64A....... Department of the Parliamentary Budget Office ................................ 47

64B....... Purpose of Parliamentary Budget Office ........................................... 47

64C....... Parliamentary Budget Officer ............................................................ 47

64D....... Appropriation of Consolidated Revenue Fund .................................. 47

64E........ Functions of Parliamentary Budget Officer ....................................... 47

64F........ Arrangements for obtaining information from Commonwealth bodies 49

64G....... Approaches etc. to be used in preparing policy costings ................... 49

64H....... Requests for costing of policies outside caretaker period .................. 50

64J........ Requests for costing of policies during caretaker period ................... 50

64K....... Caretaker period policy costing requests--interaction with the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998       51

64L........ Caretaker period policy costing requests made before polling day--public release of requests and costings            52

64LA..... Caretaker period policy costing requests made on or after polling day--public release of requests and costings      52

64M...... Requests relating to the budget (other than requests for policy costings) 53

64N....... Responsibility for managing Parliamentary Budget Office ............... 53

64P........ Restrictions on directions to Parliamentary Budget Officer ............... 54

64Q....... Annual work plan for Parliamentary Budget Office .......................... 54

64R....... Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit may request draft estimates             54

64S........ Duties of Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit ................. 55

64T........ Review of operations of Parliamentary Budget Office ...................... 55

64U....... Public release of policy costings etc. ................................................. 56

64V....... Confidentiality ................................................................................... 56

Subdivision B--Parliamentary Budget Officer's appointment, conditions etc.              57

64X....... Appointment of Parliamentary Budget Officer .................................. 57

64XA.... Approval of proposed appointment by Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit           58

64XB.... Remuneration of Parliamentary Budget Officer ................................ 59

64XC.... Leave of absence ............................................................................... 59

64XD.... Resignation ....................................................................................... 59

64XE..... Removal from office ......................................................................... 60

64XF..... Acting appointments ......................................................................... 60

Division 3--Annual report                                                                                        61

65.......... Annual report .................................................................................... 61

Part 8--Miscellaneous                                                                                                        62

65A....... Security Management Board ............................................................. 62

66.......... Payments in special circumstances .................................................... 62

67.......... Attachment of salaries to satisfy judgment debts ............................... 63

68.......... Release of personal information ........................................................ 64

69.......... Positions ........................................................................................... 64

70.......... Delegations ....................................................................................... 64

71.......... Determinations .................................................................................. 65

Part 9--Transitional provisions                                                                                   67

72.......... Interpretation ..................................................................................... 67

73.......... Operation of Part ............................................................................... 69

74.......... Continuation of existing Departments ............................................... 69

75.......... Current heads of Parliamentary Departments to continue in office .... 70

76.......... Conversion of officers and employees .............................................. 71

77.......... Rights under Part IV of the old Act--first-tier persons .................... 72

78.......... Rights under Part IV of the old Act--second-tier persons ................ 73

79.......... Determinations under the old Act ...................................................... 73

80.......... Misconduct ....................................................................................... 73

81.......... References to Agency, Agency Head, former Parliamentary Departments and Secretaries       74

82.......... References in statutory instruments to "officer" etc. .......................... 74

83.......... Determinations .................................................................................. 75

84.......... Certain Acts continue to apply to Departments established and people appointed or engaged under this Act           76

Part 10--Schedules                                                                                                              77

85.......... Schedule(s) ....................................................................................... 77

Schedule 1--Amendment of the Parliamentary Service (Consequential Amendments) Act 1997            78

Notes                                                                                                                                              79


  

Notes to the Parliamentary Service Act 1999

Note 1

The Parliamentary Service Act 1999 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 145, 1999 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

The Parliamentary Service Act 1999 was amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2006 (No. 1) (SLI 2006 No. 50). The amendments are incorporated in this compilation.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Parliamentary Service Act 1999

145, 1999

11 Nov 1999

5 Dec 1999 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1999, No. S584)

 

Parliamentary Service Amendment Act 2001

125, 2001

27 Sept 2001

17 Oct 2001 (see Gazette 2001, No. GN41)

--

Parliamentary Service Amendment Act 2005

39, 2005

1 Apr 2005

1 Apr 2005

--

Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Act 2008

8, 2008

20 Mar 2008

Schedules 1-7: 28 Mar 2008 (see F2008L00959)
Remainder: Royal Assent

--

Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2009

54, 2009

25 June 2009

Schedule 15: (a)

Sch. 15 (item 22)

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2010

148, 2010

17 Dec 2010

Schedule 10: 18 Dec 2010

--

Parliamentary Service Amendment (Parliamentary Budget Officer) Act 2011

170, 2011

4 Dec 2011

Schedule 1: 15 Feb 2012 (see F2012L00277)

--


(a)     Subsection 2(1) (item 38) of the Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2009 provides as follows:

                 (1)   Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provision(s)

Commencement

Date/Details

38.  Schedule 15

Immediately after the commencement of Part 2-4 of the Fair Work Act 2009.

1 July 2009


Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Part 1

 

S. 3......................................

am. No. 39, 2005

Part 2

 

S. 7......................................

am. No. 125, 2001; No. 39, 2005; SLI 2006 No. 50; No. 8, 2008; No. 54, 2009; No. 170, 2011

Heading to s. 8...................

rs. No. 54, 2009

S. 8......................................

am. No. 54, 2009

Part 3

 

S. 9......................................

am. No. 39, 2005

S. 17A..................................

ad. No. 39, 2005

Part 4

 

Heading to Part 4...............

rs. No. 39, 2005

Division 1

 

Ss. 23, 24............................

am. SLI 2006 No. 50; No. 8, 2008; No. 54, 2009

S. 26....................................

rs. No. 125, 2001

S. 26A..................................

ad. No. 125, 2001

Note to s. 29(1)...................

am. No. 54, 2009

Division 3

 

Div. 3 to Part 4....................

ad. No. 39, 2005

Ss. 38A-38I.........................

ad. No. 39, 2005

Part 6

 

Division 1

 

S. 48....................................

am. No. 39, 2005

Part 7

 

Division 1

 

Heading to Div. 1 of Part 7

ad. No. 170, 2011

S. 53A..................................

ad. No. 170, 2011

S. 54....................................

am. No. 39, 2005

Ss. 54A, 54B........................

ad. No. 125, 2001

Division 2

 

Div. 2 of Part 7....................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Subdivision A

 

Ss. 64A-64H.......................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Ss. 64J-64L........................

ad. No. 170, 2011

S. 64LA................................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Ss. 64M, 64N.......................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Ss. 64P-64V........................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Subdivision B

 

S. 64X..................................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Ss. 64XA-64XF...................

ad. No. 170, 2011

Division 3

 

Heading to Div. 3 of Part 7

ad. No. 170, 2011

S. 65....................................

am. No. 39, 2005

Part 8

 

S. 65A..................................

ad. No. 39, 2005

 

am. No. 170, 2011

S. 66....................................

am. No. 148, 2010

Note to s. 66.......................

ad. No. 148, 2010

S. 67....................................

am. No. 39, 2005

S. 70....................................

am. No. 39, 2005

Part 9

 

Ss. 81, 82............................

am. No. 39, 2005


Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2009 (No. 54, 2009)

Schedule 15

22  Saving provision--determinations under subsection 24(1)

If a determination made by a Secretary under subsection 24(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 was in force immediately before the commencement of this Schedule, the determination continues in force on and after that commencement as if it had been made under subsection 24(1) of that Act, as amended by this Schedule.


 



AustLII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback