Annual Report of the

Transcription

1 Annual Report of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Te Tari o te Manahautū o te Whare Māngai for the year ended 30 June 2009 Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to the Public Finance Act 1989 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 1 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

2 MR SPEAKER I have the honour to present to you the Report of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives for the year ended 30 June Mary Harris Clerk of the House of Representative OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 2 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

3 Contents Directory 4 Purpose statement 5 Outcome 5 Organisation 5 Senior management structure 7 Chief executive s overview 8 PAGE Services to the House 12 Services to select committees 14 Reporting services 16 Legal services 18 Strategic initiatives and developmental services 19 Organisational development and risk 23 Statement of responsibility 24 Report of the Auditor-General 25 Statement of service performance 28 Statement of objectives and service performance 29 Output class one: Secretariat services for the House of Representatives 29 Output class two: Inter-parliamentary relations 37 Financial statements 39 Statement of financial performance 39 Statement of movements in taxpayers funds 40 Statement of financial position 41 Statement of cash flows 42 Reconciliation of net surplus to net cash flows from operating costs 43 Statement of commitments 44 Statement of contingent liabilities 44 Statement of unappropriated expenses and capital expenditure 44 Statement of operating and capital expenditure 45 Notes to the financial statements 46 Financial performance 56 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 3 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

4 Directory Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Te Tari o te Manahautū o te Whare Māngai Postal Address Parliament Buildings Wellington 6160 Phone: (04) Fax: Clerk s Office (04) House Office (04) Select Committee Office (04) Reporting Services (04) (Hansard and Broadcasting) Legal Services Office (04) Corporate Office (04) Website: Auditor Audit New Zealand Wellington on behalf of the Auditor-General Bankers Westpac Banking Corporation Solicitors Crown Law Office Insurers American Home Assurance Co. New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 4 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

5 Purpose statement The Office of the Clerk is the legislature s secretariat. Its role is two-fold to provide specialist advice on parliamentary procedure and parliamentary law; and to provide administrative services to the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives in the performance of their duties as members of the House. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is the principal permanent officer of the House and carries out the functions required under section 3 of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Act Functions of the Clerk of the House of Representatives The functions of the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be (a) To note all proceedings of the House of Representatives and of any committee of the House: (b) To carry out such duties and exercise such powers as may be conferred on the Clerk of the House of Representatives by law or by the Standing Orders and practice of the House of Representatives: (c) To act as the principal officer of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and, in that capacity, to manage that office efficiently, effectively, and economically: (d) To ensure that staff of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives carry out their duties (including duties imposed on them by law or by the Standing Orders or practice of the House of Representatives) and maintain (i) Proper standards of integrity and conduct; and (ii) Concern for the public interest: (e) To be responsible, under the direction of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the official reporting of the proceedings of the House of Representatives and its committees. Outcome The outcome of the Office of the Clerk is a functioning legislature in which members of Parliament are able to discharge their constitutional duties in respect of the consideration of legislation and other parliamentary business. Organisation The Office of the Clerk is organised into six business groups along broadly functional lines: Deputy Clerk The Deputy Clerk is the second principal permanent officer of the House and the deputy chief executive. Responsibilities include: leading major strategic developments the inter-parliamentary relations function OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 5 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

6 researching and developing procedural knowledge parliamentary education the scrutiny of questions for oral answer. The Deputy Clerk s group services the Standing Orders Committee, the Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament, and supports the Clerk s statutory functions under the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act House Office The House Office s role is to provide support for the sittings of the House, the committee of the whole House, and the Business Committee. This involves: providing advice on parliamentary procedure to presiding officers, members of Parliament, and others involved in the parliamentary process certifying that bills are printed and reprinted as passed by the House preparing bills for Royal assent maintaining and publishing records of all proceedings holding and distributing all bills and papers while they are under consideration by the House examining bills, questions, motions, and petitions to ensure they conform with the House s rules. Select Committees The Select Committee Office supports the subject select committees. This involves: the provision of procedural advice to committee chairpersons and members preparing committee papers recording proceedings developing and maintaining a network of contacts to support public participation in committee business researching issues and analysing public submissions brokering specialist subject advice drafting committee reports and preparing them for presentation to the House and for publication. Reporting Services Reporting Services provides transcription services, including: the preparation of the Hansard report of parliamentary debates the transcription of select committee evidence Māori language interpretation and translation services radio broadcasting of the proceedings of the House, and the televising of Parliament. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 6 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

7 Legal Services Legal Services provides a legislative drafting service to members, general and specialised legal support for the Office of the Clerk, the Parliamentary Service and select committees. It also provides advice to the Regulations Review Committee in its scrutiny of delegated legislation. Corporate Services Corporate Services provides administrative, financial, computing, planning, and human resource support to the Office. Senior management structure The diagram below shows the Office of the Clerk s senior management structure: OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 7 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

8 Chief executive s overview Our environment is always dominated by the operation of the House and its committees, but the main event shaping this year was the general election. While the Office is not directly involved in the actual election, it plays a major part in the dissolution of the old Parliament, the opening of the new Parliament and the induction of new members. Furthermore, a new Parliament and a new Government require the Office to establish working relationships with a new Speaker, both as a presiding officer and as responsible Minister, new chairpersons of committees, a new leader and shadow leader of the House, party whips, and members more generally. Our Statement of Intent for the year ending 30 June 2009 articulated the following expectations of the Office, agreed with the then Speaker: to safeguard the provision of specialist thinking and long-term institutional knowledge about parliamentary procedure and law, by continuing to work on succession planning, and the long-term retention and development of our staff to enhance public participation in the legislative process, through the roll out of the ecommittee system to all committees in the new Parliament to continue the provision of information about Parliament, through continuing the planned development of communication media (Parliament website, radio and TV broadcasting) with the Parliamentary Service to develop a comprehensive communication strategy for Parliament with input from the Parliamentary Service. While these expectations remained relevant, their achievement must be measured in terms of the significantly different circumstances that arose following the general election, of a new Speaker and a very much tighter economic climate. I have set out below how the Office went about achieving these expectations, by focusing on our two broad strategic goals: development of existing services to keep pace with user expectations and technology enhancement of capability in managing people, systems and risk. The Office s main achievements under these two goals are summarised, and I then review how we have responded to developments in Parliament and other environmental factors over the year. The themes set out in my overview are expanded and added to in the operational sections that follow my overview. Development of existing services A key role for the Office is applying its procedural and institutional knowledge along with its legal expertise, to support the operation of the House and committees, and advocating for the effectiveness of Parliament as a democratic institution. The Office responded to these challenges in three main ways. First, a small unit was established to coordinate the handling of procedural and policy questions that arise from time to time in our support of the House and committees. Second, the legal services group, set up in its current form in 2006, has continued to develop and consolidate itself as a specialist resource for Parliament, the Office, and the Parliamentary OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 8 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

9 Service. Third, the Office has responded to the expected increase in workload, from both the House and committees by filling almost all of its vacancies within its existing staffing establishment and funding baseline, to ensure it is fully resourced to cope with demand, and provide for development and succession needs. The ecommittee system continued as the main development focus for select committee and information system support staff. The technical development phase was mostly accomplished during the year in review and the system is in the process of acceptance testing by users. The original intention was to implement the system in time for the first committee meetings in This was delayed until the second half of 2009 to ensure the high quality of service to users. Other planned improvements to key systems set out in our Statement of Intent have mostly remained in planning stages in order to concentrate resources on the ecommittee system and accommodate the increase in operations generated by a new Parliament. The work on a communications strategy for Parliament, an electronic procedural information repository, and enhancements to the Office s system to capture core parliamentary data were deferred. This recognises the limited resource that we can spare to dedicate to project work and that we know that we achieve best when we focus our attention on fewer projects. However, given the importance of the provision of information about Parliament to participation in the parliamentary process, we have delivered improvements to the Parliament website navigation in conjunction with the Parliamentary Service. Development of Parliament TV, a key new service introduced in 2007, focused on fine tuning the operating systems, although a significant achievement within baseline funding was the ongoing implementation of the re-screening of question time during the dinner break and following the adjournment of the House each sitting day. The proposal to extend Parliament TV to select committees has been deferred pending the availability of funding. Capability enhancement Work on capability enhancement continued to focus on our people and our human resources systems. A system of managed role changes was introduced in the previous reporting year, and efforts this year have gone into refining this and ensuring its acceptance. Several role changes have now occurred and the system is proving of value to the Office and to the staff whose experience of the parliamentary environment has been enriched. The second half of the year saw a significant tightening of resources. In my view, our people provide the thinking, the analysis and the institutional memory that is essential to the delivery of high quality procedural advice and advocacy services for Parliament. For this reason, I have continued to encourage training and development as a priority, even though resources are tight. Key senior staff members have taken advantage of developmental opportunities in other parliaments, and there has been considerable effort in inducting and initial training of new staff members. The final area of capability signalled for development is risk management. Achievements in this area have been mixed. The Office s risk management committee has proved to be a very successful innovation. However, the development and roll out of a risk management framework across the Office has not occurred at the pace anticipated. This will be addressed in the coming year with the establishment of a risk management role dedicated to making progress in this area. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 9 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

10 The year in review The opening of Parliament and the induction of new members were events in which the Office played a major role, working with the Parliamentary Service. Both of these events went well and feedback from members and other participants was very positive. A significant reason for the success of the opening and the induction of the members was the level of planning, based on learning from past events, and the successful collaboration with the Parliamentary Service. An innovation with the members induction was to see it as an ongoing process, with follow up sessions organised for members at significant times in the parliamentary calendar. As part of preparing for the new Parliament, the Office published revised volumes of Standing Orders and Speakers Rulings. These followed the adoption by the House of new Standing Orders, recommended by the Standing Orders Committee in its August 2008 report. The period following the formation of the new Government saw increased legislative activity, affecting all aspects of the Office. Greater use of urgency immediately following the election saw pressure on the areas of the Office providing direct support for House sittings. This pressure has flowed through to select committees, with increasing volumes of legislative and inquiry activity, and the formation of two additional select committees. These are being serviced from within existing resources. Absorbing these costs will undoubtedly have some impact on the overall level of service the Office is able to deliver to committees in the longer term. A new Government, new presiding officers and members have presented the Office with a range of procedural issues requiring analysis and advice. Notable challenges have been the two Privileges Committee inquiries into the registration of pecuniary interests, and the exercise of freedom of speech in the context of court orders. The Office was called upon to make submissions and provide significant levels of advice on both these inquiries. The first inquiry resulted in the House resolving that the Office enhance the support available to the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament and that the Standing Orders covering the registration of pecuniary interests be reviewed. The Office is now working with members to develop options to clarify the registration of pecuniary interests and to provide an authoritative source of advice for members making returns. The second Privileges Committee inquiry has provided the opportunity to examine the statutory regime, which protects the publishing and broadcasting of the proceedings of Parliament from legal liability. The Clerk is now both a major publisher and broadcaster. Gaps in the statutory regime expose the Office to risk of legal liability and need to be addressed. In this regard, draft sessional orders have been developed to clarify the operation of the sub judice rule, and policy work is underway in preparation for the drafting of amendments to the Legislature Act The sitting of the House for significant periods under urgency has also provided procedural challenges. During the committee of the whole House consideration of the Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill over 30,000 amendments were lodged. The use of large numbers of amendments to delay committee proceedings has drawn calls for reconsideration of the rules for the lodging and admissibility of amendments. The Office will develop a procedural response for consideration by the Standing Orders Committee that aims to ensure good quality legislative results. An ongoing theme of the past year has been the steady increase of collaborative activity with other agencies associated with Parliament, in particular the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the Parliamentary Service. Collaboration over the opening of Parliament and new members induction has already been mentioned. Other areas have been the major improvements to OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 10 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

11 Parliament s website, other technology developments, and work on the current response to the influenza pandemic. The year in review saw New Zealand faced by major economic challenges, from which Parliament was not immune. The Office participated in the 2008 value-for-money review, identifying savings some of which have been reprioritised to fund the development of simultaneous interpretation services. It is clear that funding for future initiatives will be severely curtailed, and the Office itself will be subject to more scrutiny in the future. I, and my senior management team, will continue to examine the Office s priorities and the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations. In conclusion, the year has been one of consolidation following some major changes to staff, structures and systems in previous years. It has been one where operational requirements associated with a new Parliament and a change of Government, have been particularly challenging. New members and new presiding officers along with an increased legislative and inquiry workload have created a high level of demand for services and challenged our procedural expertise. Mary Harris Clerk of the House of Representative OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 11 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

12 Services to the House The House Office supports the sittings of the House, the committee of the whole House and the Business Committee. This involves: providing advice on parliamentary procedure to presiding officers, members of Parliament, and others involved in the parliamentary process certifying that bills are printed and reprinted as passed by the House preparing bills for Royal assent maintaining and publishing records of all proceedings holding and distributing all bills and papers while they are under consideration by the House examining bills, written questions, motions, and petitions to ensure they conform with the House s rules. Legislative services The House Office received Government bills for introduction and assisted promoters of local and private bills seeking to introduce bills. Assistance was also provided with the drafting of members proposed amendments. Ballots for the introduction of members bills were conducted when necessary. The chairpersons of committees of the whole House were given detailed advice on the procedures for the consideration of bills, the maintaining of order, the relevance of debate, the scope of bills, and the admissibility of amendments. Reprinted bills, as reported from select committees and the committee of the whole House, were proofread using both traditional and electronic document comparison techniques, and certified as accurately reflecting the decisions of the House and its committees. Bills passed by the House were marked up and proofread for the production of copies ready for Royal assent. The Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) is responsible for publishing legislation. In January 2009 the Clerk of the House and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel signed a memorandum of understanding for the processing, printing, and supply of legislation. The House Office continued to work closely with the PCO during the year on the requirements of Parliament for the supply of bills to help the PCO meet its responsibility of ensuring, on behalf of Ministers, that copies of Government bills were available for debate, and ensuring the House Office met this responsibility in respect of members, local and private bills. Non-legislative services Electronic copy of the Order Paper was prepared for the Parliament website and the printer each sitting day. Similar procedures were used for the production of the Parliamentary Bulletin and the Journals of the House, compiled from the notes of the Clerk-at-the-Table. Both documents were published the week after a sitting week. Petitions were scrutinised for compliance with Standing Orders before presentation to the House. Notices of motion were also scrutinised and published on the Order Paper. Questions for written answer were scrutinised each working day and published to the Parliament website. Replies to questions for written answer were supplied to the members who asked them, OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 12 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

13 and published to the Parliament website after three working days. The House Office continued to provide an administrator to assist with system inquiries from Ministers and members offices. The House Office processed papers for presentation each working day. Work continued on the production of the annual bound volumes of Parliamentary Papers. Volumes of Parliamentary Papers for 2005 and 2006 were distributed to the major public and university libraries during the year, and the volumes for 2007 and 2008 are currently being bound. Those volumes are expected to be available by September The Appendices to the Journals (select committee reports, and papers closely related to the business of the House) for both the 47 th and 48 th Parliaments were distributed in The bound volumes of the Journals for the 48 th Parliament are with the printer, and it is planned that the volumes will also be ready for distribution by September A new publishing application has been put in place for the production of the Journals and it is anticipated that considerable efficiencies will be achieved by the use of this application. Work has continued on scoping the staged development of a central data repository of core parliamentary data. This project is being managed in the House Office because of its relationship with the BERT (Business Event Recording and Tracking) database, which the repository will ultimately replace. Parliamentary printing The contract to print, publish and distribute non-legislative parliamentary publications was put out to competitive tender in In December of that year, it was awarded to the incumbent provider of services, Securacopy. The House Office continues to monitor the contract with Securacopy to ensure all printing meets the standards required in the contract. All printing under both the previous agreement and under the new contract was delivered in accordance with agreed requirements for quality, timeliness, and cost. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 13 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

14 Services to select committees Select committees undertake the detailed work of the House. The Select Committee Office supports the subject select committees, as well as some specialist and ad hoc committees. Our work involves: giving procedural advice to committee chairpersons and members preparing committee papers recording proceedings developing and maintaining a network of contacts to support public participation in committee business researching issues and analysing public submissions brokering specialist subject advice drafting committee reports preparing those reports for presentation to the House and publication. Services to committees The overall volume of services provided to select committees during the year reflects that it was an election year and few committees met in the period September 2008 to February However, committee business gained considerable momentum as the new committees got down to their work and came to terms with their roles in the new Parliament. Despite there being fewer meetings overall, committees still carried out a significant amount of business. They considered 94 bills in the past year and our staff drafted 302 reports for various committees on bills, Estimates, financial reviews, petitions, and inquiries. Two additional committees were established that required the services of the Office. The first was the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee, established by the House in December 2008 to review the Emissions Trading Scheme and related matters. The second was the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee, established by the House in June 2009 to consider any legislation concerning the governance of Auckland that may be referred to it. The rapid growth of committee business in 2009 and the need to service these additional committees from within existing resources vindicate the decision to fill the select committee positions that were held open at the end of the 48 th Parliament. As a result the Office was resourced to cope with the demands of new committees and committee chairpersons, and the demands of very high profile additional committees. ecommittee project Following a successful pilot project, work began on implementing the ecommittee system for all select committees. ecommittee is an information management system designed to streamline the select committee process by providing members with electronic access to documents. The system also encourages involvement in the select committee process by allowing members of the public to make submissions online, and by providing access through the Parliament website to key committee documents once they have been released or the business is reported to the House. The system distributes papers electronically to members of select committees. This ensures secure access to their papers wherever they need to be - in their parliamentary offices, at select committee meetings, or from remote locations. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 14 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

15 Specialist assistance to select committees Select committees sought the assistance of independent specialist advisers in the consideration of legislation and inquiries. Advisers engaged by the Office provided advice on various matters, including the emissions trading scheme, tax legislation, care and services for disabled people and New Zealand s relationship with the South Pacific countries. Tenth biennial conference of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees The Finance and Expenditure Committee hosted the tenth biennial conference of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC) in April The theme of the conference was Sharing lessons seeking improved accountability facing new challenges. ACPAC members from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands attended the conference, along with guests from the United Kingdom, Kiribati, Namibia, Vanuatu, South Africa, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste. Auditors-general from various jurisdictions and academics also attended The conference was managed by staff from the Office and was held in Parliament buildings in Wellington. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 15 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

16 Reporting services Reporting Services provide transcription services including: preparing the Hansard report of parliamentary debates the transcription of select committee evidence Māori language interpretation and translation services radio broadcasting of the proceedings of the House, and the televising of Parliament. Hansard A major component of the Reporting Services team s work is the reporting of the proceedings of the House of Representatives in Hansard. This is done using digital audio recording equipment to prepare transcripts, which are then lightly edited before being published to the Parliament website and in hard copy. The fully searchable Hansard available on the Parliament website continues to be among the top ten pages visited. A new service was introduced at the end of June that provides quick access to the transcripts of questions for oral answer. The questions and replies are now published individually as they become available, rather than waiting until all questions are completed. Unedited transcript of each primary question, the related supplementary questions and the replies are published to the Parliament website in the order they are completed. Automation of the indexing system The automated indexing system for the Hansard Production System (HPS) introduced last year required considerable manual manipulation of the data and checking of cross references. Improvements to the system developed this year in-house will reduce the amount of time spent indexing. However, the development and implementation of these improvements, along with major staff changes have resulted in our print production targets not being achieved this year. Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association conference A senior Reporting Services staff member represented the New Zealand Parliament at the 10th triennial conference of the Commonwealth Hansard Editors Association (CHEA) in August The theme of the conference was Hansard linking Parliament with the people. Opportunities to meet our counterparts in overseas parliaments are important to building our staff capability and developing our systems for access to the proceedings of Parliament. Broadcasting Radio New Zealand continued to broadcast all proceedings of the House under its contract with the Office. It also provided live streaming and podcasting, of some of the proceedings, such as questions for oral answer, on its website. A new audio system has been successfully deployed in the debating chamber. This joint project with the Parliamentary Service has improved the sound in the debating chamber as well as the OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 16 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

17 sound for radio, television, and Hansard. Radio New Zealand provides the technical support for the audio system, alongside its broadcast of Parliament. Parliamentary summary programmes, produced under contract with funding from the Office and New Zealand On Air, were broadcast on several radio stations and were available as podcasts on some websites, such as Scoop. Parliament TV has now been operating for two years. It is widely available and easily accessible on three digital platforms and is streamed live on the Parliament website. Television broadcasters also have access to a live feed without captions at no charge. Replays of question time each sitting day at 6 pm and 10 pm are now an ongoing feature of Parliament TV coverage. A number of initiatives to build greater awareness of Parliament TV have been undertaken in the last 12 months. Transcription services Transcribing of evidence heard by select committees accounted for 17 percent of Reporting Services transcription time. Transcripts were prepared from 85 select committee meetings, captured in 112 hours of digital audio recording. The number of transcribed hearings of evidence has reduced slightly over the past four years, yet the average length of the audio record transcribed has increased from one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes. During the year, 38 Prime Ministerial press conferences, totalling 17 hours 30 minutes, were transcribed, requiring 105 hours of transcription. Although there were four fewer conferences, the total required transcription hours increased by 20 percent. Te Reo Māori language services Māori interpretation services are provided for the Speaker and members in the House, and in select committees. Translation, transcription, proofreading, and editing of Te Reo Māori services are provided for Hansard and select committee reports. In addition, the Māori language services unit validates all Te Reo Māori used in official parliamentary signage and publications, and on the Parliament website. Inquiries about the use of Te Reo Māori in parliamentary business continue to increase. Facilitating the use of Te Reo Māori in debate was addressed through investigatory work and advice to the Standing Orders Committee, which has recommended a staged introduction, planned for delivery in OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 17 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

18 Legal services The Legal Services team provides: legislative drafting services to members general and specialised legal support for the Office of the Clerk, the Parliamentary Service, and select committees advice to the Regulations Review Committee in its scrutiny of delegated legislation. Legal Services drafted 19 members bills last year. Legal Services also participated in the induction sessions for new members, explaining the drafting service and the legislative process. Services were provided to the Regulations Review Committee and other select committees. Legal Services has promoted the work of the Regulations Review Committee both internally and externally, along with the services available to select committees. A legal adviser was provided to the Privileges Committee to assist in the inquiry into a question of privilege relating to compliance with a member s obligations under the Standing Orders dealing with pecuniary interests. On-going legal advice has since been provided to the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests in administering the Register of Pecuniary Interests. Substantial assistance was provided to the Parliamentary Service under a service level agreement between the Service and the Office of the Clerk. This included assistance with a bill continuing and amending the Appropriation Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes Act 2007, and advice on corporate legal matters. Continuing advice on developing new policies and templates for contracts, and policies to manage risk and to support legal compliance were provided to the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 18 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

19 Strategic initiatives and developmental services The Deputy Clerk is responsible for: scrutinising the daily questions for oral answer leading a parliamentary procedural research, education and policy development group that supports strategies for a central repository of procedural information and procedural capability building servicing the Standing Orders Committee and the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament supporting the Clerk s statutory functions under the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993 leading strategic initiatives and office-wide projects facilitating and supporting inter-parliamentary relations. This assists the New Zealand Parliament to fulfill its obligations as a member of inter-parliamentary organisations, and encourages and supports contact between the New Zealand Parliament and overseas Parliaments. Questions for oral answer and responses Questions for oral answer were scrutinised each sitting day by the Deputy Clerk, and subsequently published for the House in print and on the Parliament website. People adversely affected by references in the House can apply to have responses entered on the parliamentary record and published if approved by the Speaker. There were four applications processed in accordance with Standing Orders, with one response incorporated in the parliamentary record. Research and Education The primary role of the Research and Education group is to enhance the Office s ability to provide expert advice and parliamentary information. This is achieved through the capture, development and sharing of institutional knowledge. During the year, the group commenced its work in this area, by focusing on two imperatives: 1) developing systems for recording procedural information and making that readily available to staff through the Parliament intranet; and 2) making effective use of the information systems developments already under way. The group also responded to requests for information about parliamentary procedure from the public and from overseas Parliaments and institutions. The Office uses the Parliament website as one of the main vehicles for sharing information with the public. We have posted a range of educational material that has been developed in collaboration with the Parliamentary Service, along with a glossary of parliamentary terms to help people better understand the system and its language. A number of feature articles were also prepared for the homepage that provided information about parliamentary events or explained topical aspects of procedure. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 19 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

20 In addition, the Research and Education group continued to publish new editions of the Standing Orders and Speakers Rulings, and the guidebooks Effective House Membership and Effective Select Committee Membership were updated and reprinted in conjunction with the induction programme for new members. The Office continues to provide training seminars for public servants and others with a particular interest in Parliament, such as staff members of the Parliamentary Service and Ministerial Services, visiting delegations, and tertiary students from New Zealand and overseas. There were 43 such presentations during the financial year. Opening of Parliament and induction of new members The Office took a lead role, in conjunction with the Parliamentary Service, in organising the opening of Parliament and the induction of new members after the 2008 general election. The Office led an inter-agency group to coordinate the opening ceremonies which comprised of three separate events over two days. This year, the confirmation of the Speaker, which usually takes place at Government House, was held at Parliament House due to the closure of Government House for refurbishment. The opening was broadcast live on Parliament TV for the first time. Programmes and material were developed for inducting members into their roles in the Chamber and select committees, and helping them to interpret the Standing Orders. A new initiative was also introduced dinnertime information sessions for members of Parliament. These are conjointly organised by the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service. Dinnertime sessions conducted for members by the Office of the Clerk included: the principles members needed to apply when completing a return of pecuniary interests the Estimates process the role and work of the Regulations Review Committee. These sessions have been well received by members of Parliament and will continue in the future. Citizens initiated referenda One question for a citizens initiated referendum petition was approved during the year and one resubmitted petition for a citizens initiated referendum was certified as correct. Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament Members returns were all received by the due date. The requisite register was then compiled and a summary of those returns published within the prescribed time. Publications and addresses The Office contributed articles and papers to a number of specialist serial publications throughout the year, including: The Parliamentarian the journal of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association The Table the annual journal of the Society of the Clerks-at-the-Table in Commonwealth Parliaments OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 20 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

21 Parliament Matters, the half-yearly bulletin of the Australia and New Zealand Association of Clerks-at-the-Table various Inter-Parliamentary Union publications. The following papers were also presented by individual staff: Parliamentary Privilege and Modern Information and Communication Technologies by Mary Harris at the ANZACATT Professional Development Seminar, Norfolk Island, 30 January Recent developments and issues in parliamentary privilege in New Zealand by Debra Angus at the ANZACATT Professional Development Seminar, Norfolk Island, 30 January ANZACATT The Office continued to contribute to the activities of the Australia and New Zealand Association of Clerks-at-the-Table (ANZACATT). ANZACATT comprises members from each House of Parliament in Australia, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. The organisation provides professional development programmes for its members to expand their knowledge of the foundations and principles of parliamentary systems and parliamentary procedure in Australia and New Zealand. Members of the Office s senior management team and tier 3 managers who work as clerks-atthe-table are members of ANZACATT. The Deputy Clerk represented the Office on the Executive Committee and the Case Law Committee. The Office also has a representative on the Education Committee. This year staff from the Office made a significant contribution to the development of a searchable on-line digest of case law on subjects such as parliamentary privilege, constitutional law, electoral law and legal issues relevant to parliamentary offices. In July 2008, four staff members attended the Queensland University of Technology School of Law course for parliamentary offices in parliamentary law, practice and procedure which was run by arrangement with ANZACATT. Staff also attended and contributed to a professional seminar in January 2009 at Norfolk Island on the subject of parliamentary privilege. Australasian study of Parliament Group The Office provides significant support to the New Zealand Chapter of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group, in particular secretariat services. During the year the chapter held five different seminars. The first of these, Referendums and representative democracy, was held in July 2008 with speaker Elizabeth McLeay, Professor in Comparative Politics at Victoria University of Wellington. In September Ann Sullivan, Associate Professor of Māori Studies at Auckland University, Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples MP, and then-new Zealand Labour Party President Mike Williams spoke on Māori Political Participation. In December the chapter discussed the Impact of the 2008 Election, with speakers Dr Therese Arseneau, a Senior Fellow in the School of Political Science and Communications at the University of Canterbury, and New Zealand Herald political correspondent, John Armstrong. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 21 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

22 The chapter hosted two seminars in 2009, and plans two further seminars for later in the year. The theme for the year is Constitutions in transition. In March Dr Arseneau joined Nigel Roberts, Professor of Political Science at Victoria University of Wellington, to discuss Alternatives to MMP. In June, John Henderson, Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Canterbury, and Dr Andrew Ladley, Adjunct Professor in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington, spoke about Bainimarama: Tyrant or Visionary? Parliament and the Pacific, focusing particularly on recent events in Fiji. The Office continues to be represented on the Group s Australasian Executive Committee, with Catherine Parkin holding office as secretary. Inter- parliamentary relations The Inter-Parliamentary Relations Secretariat developed a programme of outgoing interparliamentary travel for the year designed to increase expertise and enhance understanding of other parliamentary jurisdictions. The programme included detailed plans for each outgoing visit. The former Speaker approved eight outgoing visits from 1 July to 1 November The current Speaker approved twelve visits from 1 January to 30 June The programme included the addition of a visit to Westminster at the invitation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association - United Kingdom Branch. Participation in the Select Committee Exchange to Australia, the Pacific Mission, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee visit to the South Pacific, and the Westminster Seminar was postponed. Funding for these visits will be carried forward to the 2009/10 financial year. Reports on the international conferences attended and the visits by delegations were presented to the House. A programme of incoming parliamentary delegations, funded as guests of the Parliament, was developed and approved by the Speaker. Detailed plans for each of the five official visits were developed in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Visits and Ceremonial Office of the Executive Government Support Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs. Eight self-funded visiting parliamentary delegations were also assisted with their visit arrangements and training attachments for three Pacific legislatures were carried out. Secretariat services were provided to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Pacific region. The Regional Secretary assisted in the organisation of the region s management meeting in July 2008 and supported the regional representatives at the CPA Executive Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in August Secretariat services were also provided to the New Zealand branch of the CPA and the New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Union group and their Executive Committee. The New Zealand branch has continued to act as a technical delivery partner for the CPA s assistance to the Parliament in Bougainville. This included a one week attachment provided for one of the parliament s education officers. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 22 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

23 Organisational development and risk The Office s human resources staff spent much of their time providing advice and support in recruitment, induction and good employer practices. Organisational development initiatives this year were driven by leadership development and One Office initiatives. Most Information Services (IS) effort was in supporting the development of the ecommittee system. Other notable successes at business application level were the development of the journals publishing system and improvements to our website navigation and home page. Work also continued in developing underlying systems to support the various business applications. The collaboration of IS with other agencies in the parliamentary complex has continued. The Office s applications are increasingly used by stakeholders serviced by other agencies, such as members and Ministers who use the Office s ecommittee and questions for written answer systems. The Office s staff members increasingly work with the staff of other agencies on such matters, and participate in cross-complex liaison committees. The independent risk and assurance committee is now fully operational. The Clerk has reviewed and confirmed its mandate. Comprehensive risk-related policies, such as a risk management framework, and legislative compliance, fraud, and internal control policies, are currently being developed. Progress has not been as rapid as expected, but with a dedicated resource available the development and the implementation of the risk management framework should now proceed without delay. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 23 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

24 Statement of responsibility For the year ended 30 June 2009 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 24 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

25 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 25 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

26 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 26 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

27 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 27 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

28 OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 28 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

29 Statement of objectives and service performance for the year ended 30 June 2009 Output Class One: Secretariat Services for the House of Representatives This output expense involves provision to the House of Representatives of professional advice and services to assist the House in the fulfilment of its constitutional functions. Officers assist with the transaction of parliamentary business on the floor of the House and in select committees. Quality and quantity of administrative and support services for the House of Representatives Demand for this class was driven by the requirements of the Standing Orders of the House, decisions of the House and its committees, the Speaker, the members, the Government, and the public. The Speaker purchased the following services during the financial year. Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard Procedural advisory service Procedural advice accords with the Standing Orders and Speakers rulings. To provide presiding officers and members with the advice on parliamentary law, and the rules and practice of the House and committees, that they require to enable them to carry out their roles in the House and committees, and for the successful transaction of the business of the House and committees. Presiding officers are informed in advance about the nature of all questions to be put in the House and committee. Presiding officers have accurate, politically sustainable advice on the maintenance of order, relevancy of debate, the scope of bills, and the admissibility of amendments. Certification of bills and their preparation for Royal assent To prepare bills at each of their stages for printing by the legislative printer. Bills prepared for Royal assent accurately reflect the decisions of the House, are ready for Royal assent without delay in the order passed by the House and to meet commencement date requirements. 99% To obtain Royal assent for all bills passed by the House. Bills prepared and certified as ready for reprinting as reported from the committee of the whole House and select committees accurately reflect the decisions of the committees. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 29 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

30 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard Other legislative process services Bills introduced accord with the requirements of the Standing Orders. To provide advice to the Speaker, members and the promoters of bills on the form of legislation and its conformity with Standing Orders. Members bills, drawn in a properly arranged ballot, are introduced the day after a place becomes available on the Order Paper. To provide members with copies of members, private and local bills printed by the legislative printer ready for debate and ensure proposed amendments are also available to them. Members, private bills, and local bills are printed and available for first reading and later stages to meet the House s requirements for debate. Legislative printer is kept informed of the House s requirements for the progress of Government legislation. Proposed members amendments to bills, that are lodged more than the day before the day a committee stage is reached, are printed on Supplementary Order Papers ready for the committee stages. To be the authoritative source of information about the progress of legislation before the House. Members and the public have ready access to up-to-date information about the progress of legislation. Information services for the sittings of the House To deliver the information the House needs for each sitting to enable members to carry out their roles in the House and committees, and for the successful transaction of the business of the House and committees. An Order Paper, including all the business available for transaction, is available before the commencement of each sitting day. Papers and select committee reports presented are accessible for parliamentary use immediately on the day presented and announced in the House on the next sitting day. Parliamentary papers are published to the Parliament website within 30 minutes of the order to publish. Release authorities are issued correctly and within 30 minutes. Records of the House are maintained in accordance with the Standing Orders. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 30 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

31 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard An effective and efficient printing agreement is maintained to ensure timely access to printed copies of select committee reports, the Journals, Hansard and information about the business transacted by the House (Parliamentary Bulletin). Services for the transaction of House business To provide scrutiny services for members questions, motions and petitions to ensure their acceptance by the Speaker. To make questions, motions and petitions available for the successful transaction of the business of the House. Oral questions accepted as in order are available for the commencement of each sitting day. Motions that are in order are included on the Order Paper for the next sitting day. Petitions that are in order are announced in the House and allocated to the appropriate select committee. Written questions accepted as in order are circulated to Ministers offices each working day no later than 1.15pm and made accessible on the Parliament website. Replies to written questions are immediately made available to the members who asked the questions on their receipt in the Office and made accessible on the Parliament website in three working days. Te Reo Māori interpreter is available at all sitting times of the House. Record of the proceedings of the House To provide an authoritative and readily accessible record of the resolutions of the House and a record of debate in the House. To provide a record of the determinations of the Business Committee that enables the successful transaction of the business of the House and committees. All resolutions of the House are accurately and consistently recorded in the Journal and Hansard. Votes are correctly recorded for announcement and inclusion in the Journal and Hansard. Hansard provides a readable verbatim record of debate within the following times: - Members speeches (yellows) produced within two hours of being recorded in the House. Members yellows are dispatched to members by the end of each night. No specific statistics are maintained, as the Hansard production process will halt if yellows are not printed. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 31 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

32 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard - Hansard advance to the Parliament website and printer within four working days after the sitting. 62% of advances were sent to website within four working days. 1 - Weekly Hansard (pinks) to the Parliament website and printer within 10 working days after the last sitting day of the week. 2% within 10 working days 60% within 20 working days 70% within 30 working days Average time for all pinks was 21 working days Publication was delayed by the bedding in of the Indexing system. An uncorrected transcript of oral questions is available in electronic form by 5.30 pm each sitting day. 51% by 5.30pm 80% by 6.00pm Information about the business the House has transacted is publicly accessible within five working days. Determinations of the Business Committee are available on the day after being made and are published in the Parliamentary Bulletin. Responses from persons referred to by name in the House are processed in accordance with the Standing Orders. Where Te Reo Māori is used in debate, the Hansard translation is accurate. Parliamentary education services To provide participants in the parliamentary process with a better understanding of the procedures and their role within the parliamentary process. Participation in the parliamentary process is enhanced by participants greater understanding of the procedures of the House and committees. 1 Hansard advances are not formally printed as they are now available on the Parliament website. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 32 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

33 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard To provide the wider public with access to information resources that explain what Parliament is and what it does. Accurate and up-to-date information about the procedures of the House is readily accessible to users and presented in a usable form. 80% While developing capacity in the new group, significant publications were prioritised and made available. Statutory responsibilities To administer the statutory and other Standing Order responsibilities required of the Clerk of the House. CIR petitions are processed in accordance with requirements of the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act Ballot papers are retained and disposed of in accordance with the requirements of the Electoral Act A summary of information contained in the Register of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament is published before 31 May each year. Select committee support To assist in the development and monitoring of committee programmes to advance select committee business and provision of the necessary operational and administrative assistance for a select committee to operate, have its decisions recorded and, when requested, have its proceedings recorded. To provide and broker the provision of advice on parliamentary law and procedure relevant and necessary for the business of committees and the preparation of reports for select committee. Servicing of select committees complies with the requirements of the Standing Orders, Speakers rulings, practices and timetables of the House and its committees. Select committees have the requisite procedural, advisory and administrative support and, where necessary, specialist advisory support including recording of proceedings, Te Reo Māori interpretation and translation. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 33 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

34 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard Broadcasting Provision for broadcasting of the proceedings of the House of Representatives to ensure that the public is better informed about the processes relating to Parliament, the decisions that Parliament has made and the reasons for those decisions, together with a wider understanding of the performance of its representatives in the Parliament. All sitting days of the House of Representatives will be broadcast on radio. Televised sound and images will be made available to broadcasters, streamed live on Parliament s website and a facility will be provided to retrieve stored images and sound. Radio information programmes, as contracted, will be produced and the information provided about the proceedings will be accurate. PTV Broadcast: Webstream, the PTV broadcast, was available for webstreaming on all sitting days. All broadcasts were taped and stored. Programmes were produced and accurate. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 34 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

35 Quantity of secretariat services for the House of Representatives 2004/ / / / /09 House statistics Sitting days of the House serviced Calendar days of the House serviced Sitting hours in the House - Normal (hours and minutes) Urgency (hours and minutes) Total House Sitting hours in committee of the whole House - Normal (hours and minutes) Urgency (hours and minutes) Total committee of the whole House Total House and committee of the whole House Order Papers published Parliamentary Bulletins published Papers processed for presentation 1,238 1,116 1,227 1, Petitions scrutinised for presentation Notices of motion scrutinised for lodging Oral questions scrutinised 1, , Written questions scrutinised for lodging 17,838 13,849 23,535 15,423 11,195 Members bills drafted/processed Members bills ballots conducted Bills introduced Government Members Private Local Bills certified for reprinting Assents prepared CIR petition questions determined This figure includes provisional Order Papers. 2 This figure represents bills reprinted following select committee and committee of the whole House stages. 3 The number of assents prepared for each of the 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08 and 2008/09 years included assents for bills divided from Statutes Amendment Bills (46,26,30 and 14 bills, respectively). No Statutes Amendment Bill was divided in the 2006/07 year. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 35 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

36 Quantity of secretariat services for the House of Representatives Continued 2004/ / / / /09 Select committee statistics Select committees serviced (including subcommittees) Select committee meetings serviced (including subcommittees) Select committee reports presented Select committee reports printed separately Compendia of select committee reports Bills considered by select committees Reporting services transcription of select committees (hours and minutes) Hansard statistics Hansard advance produced Hansard Weekly (pinks) produced Hansard bound volumes (debates and questions) produced Hansard Youth Parliament Hansard publications printed Broadcasting services Calendar days House broadcast Cost Outputs in this class were provided within the appropriated sum including GST. The costs in this cost of service statement are stated exclusive of GST. 30/6/08 30/6/09 30/6/09 30/6/09 Actual Actual Main Supp. estimates estimates $000 $000 $000 $000 15,593 Revenue Crown 18,796 17,796 18, Other revenue/department ,729 Total revenue 18,989 17,968 19,091 14,461 Total expenses 18,167 17,968 19,091 1,268 Net surplus All reports on the Estimates, the financial reviews of departments and the reviews of State enterprises, Crown entities, and public organisations are each printed in a single volume. Another volume covers all other reports not printed separately. 5 Transcription volumes may vary; dependent on the number of major select committee enquiries in the period. 6 Hansard advances are not formally printed as they are available on the internet. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 36 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

37 Output class two: Inter-parliamentary relations Overview This class involves the provision of advice on inter-parliamentary relations to the Speaker and members, establishment of an annual programme for incoming and outgoing visits, the development and implementation of individual visit programmes, the building of the capacity of the Pacific Island parliaments, supporting the New Zealand Parliament s contribution on global issues at international parliamentary organisations, and the hosting of international parliamentary conferences. Quality and quantity of servicing of inter-parliamentary relations Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard Advice on inter- parliamentary relations To provide advice to the Speaker and members on inter-parliamentary relations. Annual programme of visits To develop an annual programme of incoming guests of parliament visits and outward interparliamentary travel. Speaker and members have accurate, informed and politically sustainable advice on issues relating to interparliamentary relations. Programmes approved by the Speaker. Servicing visits To develop and/or implement individual incoming visit programmes. Advice and services meet the satisfaction of the Speaker, members and select committees. To develop and/or implement individual outward visit programmes. Visit programmes are completed within approved budget. Engagement with Pacific parliaments To provide support to CPA Pacific Branches and Regional Representatives in developing parliamentary democracy. New Zealand s engagement with inter-parliamentary organisations Advice and services meet the satisfaction of the CPA Pacific Branches and Regional Representatives. To provide advice and services to the Speaker, members and delegates on New Zealand s engagement on global issues with inter-parliamentary organisations. Advice and services meet the satisfaction of the Speaker, members and delegates. To provide secretariat services to the CPA Branch IPU Group Executive Committee. Secretariat services meet the satisfaction of the New Zealand CPA Branch IPU Group Executive Committee. OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 37 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009

38 Service Description Performance Measures Budgeted Standard Actual Standard Hosting parliamentary conferences To develop and plan the hosting of various inter-parliamentary conferences. Planning, advice and services meet the satisfaction of the Speaker, members and delegates. N/A The Secretariat hosted no conferences this year. To implement and host individual conferences Completed within approved budgets. N/A Quantity 2004/ / / / /09 Outgoing parliamentary delegations and visits organised Incoming parliamentary delegations and visits organised Cost Outputs in this class were provided within the appropriated sum including GST. The costs in this cost of service statement are stated exclusive of GST. 30/6/08 30/6/09 30/6/09 30/6/09 Actual Actual Main Supp. estimates estimates $000 $000 $000 $000 3,913 Revenue Crown 1, , Other revenue/department ,925 Total revenue 1, ,196 2,711 Total expenses ,196 1,214 Net surplus OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE 38 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30TH JUNE 2009