Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives

Transcription

1 A.8 Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2017

2 This Annual Report is presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to section 44 of the Public Finance Act Copyright This copyright work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work as long as you attribute the work to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and abide by the other licence terms. Please note that the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives logo and the House of Representatives crest may not be used in any way that infringes any provision of the Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act Attribution to the Clerk of the House of Representatives should be in written form and not by reproduction of any logo or crest. To view a copy of the text to be used for attribution, please visit Office of the Clerk Private Bag Parliament Buildings Wellington 6160 Phone: (04)

3 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 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 David Wilson Clerk of the House of Representatives 3

4 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 Contents Page Clerk of the House s Overview About the Office of the Clerk Progress against strategic intentions Parliament remains relevant because it has the capacity to adapt its procedures Effective parliamentary scrutiny enhances government outcomes Public respect for Parliament grows because the public are informed about what Parliament is doing and is able to participate Parliament s capacity is enhanced by members engagement with other parliaments and inter-parliamentary organisations Performance information on appropriations for the year ended 30 June Output expense: Secretariat Services for the House of Representatives Output expense: Inter-parliamentary Relations Summary of service performance Speaker s statement on the Office s performance information on appropriations for the year ended 30 June Statements of expenses and capital expenditure Statement of actual expenses and capital expenditure incurred against appropriations for the year ended 30 June Statement of expenses and capital expenditure incurred without, or in excess of, appropriation or other authority for the year ended 30 June Statement of departmental capital injections for the year ended 30 June Statement of departmental capital injections without, or in excess of, authority for the year ended 30 June Organisational health and capability Governance and management model Our people Business continuity Asset management Capital programme Advocacy for Parliament Performance Improvement Framework Statement of responsibility for the year ended 30 June Independent auditor s report Financial statements Statement of comprehensive revenue and expense for the year ended 30 June Statement of financial position as at 30 June

5 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Statement of changes in taxpayers funds for the year ended 30 June Statement of cash flows for the year ended 30 June Statement of commitments as at 30 June Statement of contingent liabilities and contingent assets as at 30 June Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 30 June Statement of actual expenses and capital expenditure incurred against appropriations Statement of expenses and capital expenditure incurred without, or in excess of, appropriation or other authority Statement of departmental capital injections Statement of departmental capital injections without, or in excess of, authority

6 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE

7 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Clerk of the House s Overview 2016/17 has been a very positive year for the Office of the Clerk. Ensuring that the work of Parliament and its members is accessible to the general public continued to be a priority for the Office. In 2016/17, the Office delivered on its goal of providing live-captioning of Parliament TV, for which it won the 2016 Broadcasting Captioning Award. In addition, free-to-air television coverage of Parliament TV was extended to a further nine regions around New Zealand. I was particularly proud of the selection of the New Zealand Parliament website alongside Data USA and NASA in the 2017 Webby Awards Government & Civil Innovation category. This year we have undertaken a transformative publishing project. Changes have been made to the online submissions form to make it easier for members of the public to engage with select committees, and enhancements to our data management system have improved the accuracy and timeliness of information published to the website and eliminated some of the older systems used by the Office. Improvements have been made to the public alerts system on the Parliament website, and an improved Questions for Written Answer system has been developed and will be rolled out at the start of the 52nd Parliament. In May 2017, the 4th edition of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand was published. The publication was the culmination of many years of hard work. During the year we held a series of workshops with members of Parliament and staff to canvass suggestions for my submission to the Standing Orders Committee on the review of the Standing Orders. This consultation resulted in a number of proposals being considered in the review. Throughout the year I have continued to advocate for Parliament. In October I submitted to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee in respect of the New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill. I advocated for the oversight of New Zealand s intelligence agencies by a select committee of Parliament and for the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to be appointed by the House. In 2017, I supported the Speaker s intervention in the case of Taylor v Attorney-General in the Court of Appeal. The Office s Workforce Strategy was completed this year, and we continued to focus on building staff engagement and satisfaction at work. Secondment opportunities have been made available within the Office, to overseas parliaments and from the wider state sector in New Zealand. Finally, I would like to thank all my staff for their hard work and commitment to the institution of Parliament. I am particularly grateful for the support of my Senior Leadership Team and of the General Manager of the Parliamentary Service, David Stevenson. I look forward to another successful year in 2017/18. David Wilson Clerk of the House of Representatives 7

8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE About the Office of the Clerk Context The Office of the Clerk is established under section 14 of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Act Its core business is to provide a secretariat to support the House and select committees. The Office aligns its strategy with the priorities of Parliament and focuses its outputs on enabling and supporting an open, transparent and accessible Parliament. Organisational arrangements The Office s organisational structure is shown on the next page. The Office is organised into three business groups, which deliver services under the Office s two departmental output expenses: Secretariat Services for the House of Representatives, and Inter-parliamentary Relations. Clerk of the House Executive Assistant Clerk-Assistant (House) Services to the House (Table and Bills Offices and Chamber Operations) Hansard Ngā Ratonga Reo Māori Parliamentary law and practice Broadcasting Business continuity planning Deputy Clerk and Senior Manager (Select Committees and Parliamentary Engagement) Services to select committees Inter-parliamentary Relations Education Public engagement Senior Manager (Corporate Services) People Finance Organisational support Risk management Planning IST services relationship management Information management (including records) 8

9 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 The Office continually reviews its operating processes to adapt to changes in its operating environment, generate efficiencies through the smart use of technology and ensure its people are deployed most effectively. Our values How we work The organisational values that guide how every person works at the Office of the Clerk are: Impartiality We take pride in treating everyone equally, with respect and without bias. Impartiality is at the core of everything we do and every piece of advice we give. We leave our personal views at the door and do our work with complete discretion. That s how we earn the respect of all the people we interact with. Trustworthiness We deliver; always. Our customers and colleagues have confidence in us because we consistently deliver excellent service. We do this by building relationships on a foundation of trust, supporting each other, and doing a job we can all be proud of. We follow through, no matter what. Openness Sharing, listening and learning. Transparency and honest communication are at the heart of our success. We are approachable and up-front. We know that the way to become smarter and stronger is by valuing people s ideas, experiences, and differences. We encourage open conversation about possibilities and opportunities, celebrating what works and freely recognising what should change. Innovation How we stay ahead. Our social, political and work environment is constantly changing; we are open to that. We work hard to adapt to change and to always add value by carefully introducing new ideas and by reassessing and refining existing ones. Our willingness to question the status quo and our constant drive for excellence is not just healthy; it is what keeps us relevant. Courage Doing what is best. While we always strive to meet the needs of our customers, we also know we cannot always say 'yes'. We value good judgement and sound decision making, and we are brave enough to have difficult conversations and to explore new approaches. This empowers us to always seek out the best, if not necessarily the easiest, solutions to our challenges. 9

10 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE Progress against strategic intentions As stated in our published strategic intentions, the outcome that the Office exists to achieve is a legislature in which members of Parliament are able to discharge their constitutional duties in respect of the consideration of legislation and other parliamentary business, and interested parties are informed and able to participate. 1 The Office seeks to influence this outcome through four strategic impacts that it can make on the effectiveness of Parliament as an institution. Those impacts are: Parliament remains relevant because it has the capacity to adapt its procedures effective parliamentary scrutiny enhances government outcomes public respect for the institution of Parliament grows because the public is informed about what Parliament is doing and is able to participate Parliament s capacity is enhanced by members engagement with other parliaments and inter-parliamentary organisations. 2 These four impacts have linked the outcome of the Office to the services it provides. Under each of these impacts are objectives the Office has worked on since publishing its strategic intentions. Progress made against the impacts and objectives within the timespan of this annual report are set out on the following pages. Parliament remains relevant because it has the capacity to adapt its procedures We set three objectives for achieving this impact: input to the review of the operation of the Standing Orders and other constitutional reviews assists to maintain Parliament s independence understanding of the statutory framework for parliamentary privilege is enhanced Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand is updated and a new edition published. Regular reviews of the Standing Orders and practices of the House are essential in order to ensure that the New Zealand Parliament remains relevant and effective. In 2016/17, we conducted a series of workshops to canvass feedback to support a submission to the Standing Orders Committee. Workshops were held with each of the political parties represented in the House, as well as with Office of the Clerk staff and external stakeholders. In May 2017, the 4th edition of McGee s Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand was published. The publication of the 4th edition marked the culmination of many years of hard work and was the first edition to be written by a team of authors. To quote Sir Geoffrey Palmer it will repay close study by anyone whose business involves them interacting with Parliament in any serious way 3. In 2017, the Clerk supported the Speaker s intervention in the case of Taylor v Attorney-General, a Court of Appeal challenge to the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act The Speaker s concerns lay with Justice Heath s appraisal of the Attorney-General s section 7 report on the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill. In November 2016, the Clerk also gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee in respect of the New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill. The Clerk advocated for the oversight of New Zealand s intelligence agencies by a select committee of Parliament and for the Inspector- General of Intelligence and Security to be appointed by the House. 1 Office of the Clerk, Strategic Intentions for the years ending 30 June 2015 to 30 June 2018, p Ibid. 3 Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, McGee Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, 4th Edition, LawTalk July 2017, p

11 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Effective parliamentary scrutiny enhances government outcomes The Office set four objectives for achieving this impact: support for legislative scrutiny in select committees assists legislative quality support for financial scrutiny in the House and its committees assists members in their scrutiny role redevelop electronic select committee services for members develop electronic access to and integration of information required by members to participate in the House. Once again all bills introduced to the House were considered by the Office for constitutional and administrative law issues, including inconsistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act The Office has continued to support the Business Committee to be innovative in its approach to procedure. The refocusing of the House s financial scrutiny debates, trialled in 2015, continued into the 2016/17 financial year. Structuring the debates by theme rather than by Vote or entity has proven to be popular and has enhanced the House s scrutiny processes. In 2016, the Business Committee agreed to trial a two-week Estimates period. The purpose of scheduling Select Committee Estimates hearings during a prescribed time period, as is the case in many overseas jurisdictions, was to provide select committee members, Ministers, and officials with more certainty. Public respect for Parliament grows because the public are informed about what Parliament is doing and is able to participate The Office set four objectives for achieving this impact: communications strategy for Parliament is implemented Hansard s relevance and production efficiency enhanced and a captioning system delivered further develop webcasting of select committee hearings of evidence new ways for New Zealanders to engage with their representatives explored. We remain committed to keeping the public informed about the work of Parliament and its members. The renovated Parliament website, launched in June 2016, was a key milestone for the Office. In 2017, the website was selected as one of the five best websites in the world in The Webby Awards Government & Civil Innovation category. In July 2016, the Office launched its live-captioning service for Parliament TV, for which it won the 2016 Broadcasting Captioning Award. The captioning of on-demand videos followed in February A trial of captions simultaneous translation of Te Reo Māori has taken place, with a view to implementing this service in the 52nd Parliament. This year we have worked together with the Speaker to produce, each sitting day, a short video that outlines the House s upcoming legislative programme. Similarly, several select committee secretariats have worked with members of Parliament to produce video content aimed at encouraging members of the public to engage with the committee process. Engagement with young people continues to be of paramount importance to the Office. We have worked with the Ministry of Youth Development to host the 2016 Youth Parliament, in July In April 2017, staff from the Office helped facilitate the Pacific Youth Parliament at St Bede s College in Christchurch. 11

12 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 Parliament TV Free to Air was extended to the following nine regions in 2017: Taupō, Nelson, Rotorua, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Whangarei, Gisborne, Timaru, and Invercargill. Eighty-six percent of New Zealanders can now access Parliament TV via Free to Air TV. Two YouTube channels have been launched: In The House for Parliament TV, and NZ Parliament for other Parliament-related content. The Office continues to fund Radio New Zealand (RNZ) to produce radio content and, for the first time, online content about Parliament. RNZ s programme The House features interviews with members of Parliament on topical issues and provides in-depth coverage about the House and committees. The digitisation of historical Hansard debates was achieved in July Hansard debates dating back to 1854 are now accessible to the public, via the New Zealand Parliament website, in partnership with the HathiTrust Digital Library, the University of California, and the Google Books Library Project. We have continued to promote the work of the New Zealand Parliament through several social media platforms. In June 2017, a New Zealand Parliament Facebook page was launched, and the New Zealand Parliament Twitter account continues to attract followers. As of July was followed by 13,500 individuals. Several select committee Facebook pages have also been launched. The pages feature information pertaining to upcoming hearings, as well as bills considered by committees. An upgrade to Core Parliamentary Data (CPD) was delivered this year. As a result of the upgrade, data pertaining to the progress of legislation through the House is now available to members and the public, through the Parliament website, in a much more timely fashion. Parliament s capacity is enhanced by members engagement with other parliaments and inter-parliamentary organisations The Office set two objectives for achieving this impact: continued implementation of the Global Connections, a Better Parliament interparliamentary relations strategy members professional development opportunities are delivered. The New Zealand Parliament s inter-parliamentary relations (IPR) strategy covers five strategic directions: Speaker-led diplomacy; participation in inter-parliamentary organisations; undertaking bilateral visits; providing professional development for members of Parliament; and capacity building and parliamentary strengthening in the Pacific. We work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Department of Internal Affairs Visits and Ceremonial Office, and international partners including the United Nations Development Programme, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the Inter- Parliamentary Union to deliver a comprehensive and varied programme with a focus on parliamentary strengthening and global citizenship and good governance. Members active participation in inter-parliamentary organisations improves knowledge and insights as legislators, which in turn improves parliamentary scrutiny of government. For example, leveraging off participation in previous GLOBE legislators forums, under the IPR programme, a local cross-parliamentary chapter was formed and a special debate in the House was held on its report on scenarios to achieve domestic emissions neutrality. Speaker-led diplomacy also took an innovative turn, with the Office, in close collaboration with MFAT and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, facilitating the October 2016 Speaker s delegation to China the first Speaker s delegation to include a business and trade component. In 2016/17, we facilitated opportunities for members to advance their professional development through attendance and participation at the following: 47th Conference of Presiding Officers and Clerks, Tonga 12

13 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Parliamentary Workshop on Cyber-Security; Australasian Study of Parliament Group Annual Conference, Adelaide 65th Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedure, London 135th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, Geneva Commonwealth Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers in Westminster, London and bilateral visits to Jersey and Guernsey 62nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, London 25th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Fiji 20th Inter-parliamentary Meeting with the European Parliament Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committee Conference, Brisbane Regional Meeting of Young Parliamentarians of the Asia-Pacific, Sri Lanka Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Modern Slavery, London, and the Pacific Mission to the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tonga. New Zealand parliamentarians also contributed to the maintenance of international peace and democracy by participating in election-monitoring missions and capacity development with other legislatures. We will continue to support the uptake of members professional development opportunities arising from programmes run by international parliamentary organisations and other parliaments. The Office continued to provide secretariat services for the Pacific Region branches of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians. We also coordinated workshops for Pacific Clerks in the margins of the regional Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference (POCC). Supporting the New Zealand Parliament s relationships with Pacific Parliaments has continued to be a key area for the Office. Capacity building and technical assistance were provided to a number of Pacific legislatures, including several short and long-term staff secondments, including to Samoa and Fiji. Supporting the increased representation of women in Pacific legislatures was a focus, genderbalanced representation being a benchmark for democratic legislatures. Following on from the successful visit of a group of women parliamentarians from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, a Pacific Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Mentoring Programme was held with delegates from Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Tonga. Over 50 Pacific Parliamentarians, including from New Zealand, took part in the 2016 Pacific Parliamentary Forum, held in Auckland and Wellington. This well-received programme included constituency engagement and visits to Pacific-focused community and business organisations in Auckland. In Wellington, the parliamentary programme included briefings, interactive sessions 13

14 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 with select committees, and four themed debates of importance in the Pacific: Climate Change; Pacific Resources; Security and Governance; and Parliament and Community. 3 Performance information on appropriations for the year ended 30 June 2017 This performance information on appropriations describes the two output expenses that the Office of the Clerk was funded to deliver in 2016/17. It also identifies what was achieved with each appropriation compared with what was intended to be achieved as set out in the supporting information to the 2016/17 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates. Combined, these two output appropriations support the achievement of the Office s strategic intentions set out on pages 10 to 14 of this annual report. Those pages provide readers with further information on the significant progress and key achievements the Office made using expenditure from these appropriations to enhance the effectiveness of Parliament as an institution. A diagram on page 22 of this annual report illustrates the linkages between the outcome the Office exists to achieve, the impacts sought, and the progress the Office made in 2016/17 towards those impacts and the services provided. Output expense: Secretariat Services for the House of Representatives Scope of appropriation This appropriation is limited to the provision to the House of Representatives of professional advice and services to assist the House in the fulfilment of its constitutional functions, and enabling participation in, and understanding of, parliamentary proceedings. Demand for this class of outputs is driven by the requirements of the Standing Orders, decisions of the House and its committees, the Speaker, members, the Government, and the public. What was intended to be achieved with this appropriation This appropriation was intended to achieve a well-supported legislature that meets constitutional requirements for the consideration of legislation, the scrutiny of executive Government and other parliamentary business, and a well-informed public that participates in the legislature s proceedings. What was achieved with this appropriation Secretariat and support services were provided for all sittings of the House. Secretariat services were provided for all select committee meetings and for the statutory Intelligence and Security Committee. Procedural assistance was made available in all select committee meetings and to all committee members and chairpersons as required. Te Reo Māori interpretation and translation services continued to be provided to the House and select committees. To commemorate New Zealand Sign Language week, Question Time in the House on 11 May 2017 was interpreted into New Zealand Sign Language, and on 25 May 2017, the Leaders speeches on Budget 2017 were interpreted into New Zealand Sign Language for the public gallery and for viewers of Parliament TV. 14

15 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 A tailored legislative drafting service was provided to members. In 2016/17, 26 members bills were drafted. The Office also drafted 88 supplementary order papers to facilitate the proposal of nongovernment amendments to legislation. Information about members attendance was captured by the Office during sittings of the House, meetings of select committees and other House business such as parliamentary delegations. 4 The Register of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of Members of Parliament was compiled and published within the prescribed time. Advice and specialist legal support were provided to the Registrar of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of Members of Parliament as required. Members were provided with the information they needed to carry out their parliamentary duties and members of the public who wanted to engage with Parliament could. All the proceedings of the House were broadcast live. They were broadcast live on the Freeview, Igloo, Sky, and Vodafone digital TV platforms and on the AM radio network. They were also available as a web stream on the Parliament website and the Virtual House application. The House s proceedings were also made available on the Internet as on-demand video. The Office continued to support summary radio programmes and online information about Parliament. Podcasts of the radio programmes are now also available on the Parliament website. Online and social media engagement initiatives continued in 2016/17 so that the public could connect in multiple ways with their representatives about parliamentary business. Parliament Twitter account now has over 13,000 followers. Question Time regularly trends highly in New Zealand on Twitter. 4 This is a requirement of the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Services) Act

16 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 Performance assessment Performance indicator Target for 2016/17 Services to the House and committees All procedural advice to presiding officers, committee chairpersons, and members is accurate and politically sustainable 5 Members have the information and services they require to perform their legislative and scrutiny functions at each sitting of the House and meetings of select committee 6 All resolutions of the House and committees, debates in the House, and select committee evidence (if requested by the committee) are accurately recorded, published and maintained in accordance with the Standing Orders and practices of the House 8 All written and oral questions are scrutinised to the Speaker's satisfaction Performance assessment for 2016/17 100% Achieved 100% Not achieved on one occasion 7 100% Achieved 100% Not achieved on one occasion 9 All bills are certified as being printed as passed by the House and bills are prepared for assent in a timely basis and in the order passed by the House All committee reports are accurate and reflect the views of the committee Public information All sittings of the House of Representatives are broadcast on radio and TV and in accordance with the Standing Orders, Speakers' rulings, established practice, and professional standards Specialist procedural and legal advice All legal advice complies with quality standards and is timely 100% Achieved 100% Achieved 100% Achieved 100% Achieved 5 Accurate means that the advice accords with Standing Orders, Speakers Rulings, and established practice. 6 Information and services required by the House for sittings include: preparation of Order Paper for each sitting day, scrutiny of questions for oral and written answer, scrutiny of notices of motions, checking of petitions for compliance with the Standing Orders, arrangement of presentation of papers, scrutiny of bills and supplementary order papers for compliance with the Standing Orders, and Te Reo Māori and sign language interpreters. Information and services required for committees include: preparation of notices of meetings, agendas and minutes, arrangement of hearings of evidence and brokering of advice for legislative and financial scrutiny and select committee inquiries, management of committee papers, preparation of draft reports and arrange for their presentation to the House, and Te Reo Māori and sign language interpretation and translation. 7 The incorrect version of the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill was placed on the Table prior to the second reading debate. The correct version was provided when the mistake was brought to the attention of the House. 8 Recording, publishing and maintenance of records means: Hansard, decisions and business of House are recorded accurately and published to the Journals of the House of Representatives; committee proceedings are published to the Parliament website, and all records accord with the Standing Orders, Speakers Rulings and established practice. 9 Two written questions that were contrary to Speakers Rulings were cleared by the House Office. 16

17 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Performance indicator Target for 2016/17 All policy developments that significantly affect Parliament have the Clerk s input Law drafting services Proportion of members bills, prepared with the assistance of the OOC, drafted and printed are peer reviewed Proportion of members proposed amendments to bills, prepared with the assistance of the OOC, drafted and printed on supplementary order papers are proof read The proportion of instructing members we survey that indicate satisfaction with the quality and timeliness 10 Pecuniary interests All advice on registration of pecuniary interests accords with the Standing Orders and practice of the House and is to the satisfaction of the Registrar Performance assessment for 2016/17 100% Achieved 80% Achieved 80% Achieved 90% Achieved The Registrar is satisfied. Responses to requests for significant advice are peer reviewed Achieved Financial performance 2016 Actual $ Actual $ Main Estimates $000 Unaudited 2017 Supp Estimates $ Forecast $000 18,107 Revenue Crown 19,476 19,239 19,476 19, Other revenue ,245 Total revenue 19,544 19,356 19,545 19,174 17,934 Total expenses 18,913 19,356 19,545 19, Net surplus 631 Output expense: Inter-parliamentary Relations Scope of appropriation This appropriation is limited to services to improve relations between the New Zealand Parliament and other parliaments, including providing advice on inter-parliamentary relations to the Speaker and members, establishing and implementing an annual programme of incoming and outgoing visits, developing and implementing individual visit programmes, assisting to build the capacity of the Pacific Island Parliaments, supporting (including through travel to meetings overseas) the New Zealand Parliament s contribution on global issues at international parliamentary organisations, and hosting international parliamentary conferences. 10 The standards of quality in drafting legislation are that the member is satisfied with the final product to the extent that achieving the member's satisfaction with the final product allows the following: the legislation produced gives effect to the member's intentions; the legislation produced is drafted as clearly and simply as possible; and the legislation produced is in accordance with the Standing Orders. 17

18 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 What was intended to be achieved with this appropriation This appropriation is intended to achieve the fulfilment of the New Zealand Parliament s obligations as a member of the international parliamentary community and facilitate members engagement with other parliaments and inter-parliamentary organisations. What was achieved with this appropriation In accordance with the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Strategy, the Office developed the annual inter-parliamentary relations (IPR) programme for approval by the Speaker. It managed all the official visits that occurred under the programme. This included Guest of Parliament visits by the Speakers of India, Germany, and Samoa, and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The New Zealand Parliament s membership of, and engagement with, international parliamentary organisations continued to grow. The Office provided secretariat services to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Pacific Region and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Pacific Region. The Office has supported New Zealand representatives to contribute to the significant reform of the CPA. New Zealand parliamentarians were provided with the opportunity to meet with a range of counterparts, including those from the legislatures of Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina as part of the America Council of Young Political Leaders Exchange programme; South Australia as part of the Australian Political Exchange programme; Belgium; Cambodia; China; Cook Islands; the European Parliament; Indonesia; Kenya; Kuwait; Maharashtra State, India; Mexico; Sabah State, Malaysia; Niue; Samoa; Tonga; United Kingdom; Victoria, Australia; and Vietnam. To promote wider understanding of parliamentary democracy we delivered the CPA Lecture for the Pacific Region, the second lecture in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association s international lecture series. During the visit of the President of the German Bundestag, the Office facilitated a special event to mark the 20th anniversary of the Mixed Member Proportion (MMP) voting system. During the visits of the CPA Secretary-General, the Office arranged roadshows with universities and a secondary school. The Office also increased communications in a more readily accessible form about the IPR programme and events. The Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in November 2016 provided an opportunity for parliamentarians from 17 countries and territories in the Pacific region to meet with New Zealand parliamentarians on major Pacific issues and share knowledge on key issues and parliamentary practices. The Office worked successfully with MFAT to deliver the Wellington parliamentary programme under the auspices of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. The New Zealand Branch of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, a cross-party group, continued to promote increased women s participation in leadership and gender-based issues. A milestone in its work spanning several years to end under-aged and forced marriage was its submission to the Justice and Electoral Committee on the Family and Whānau Violence Bill. The Office organised a Speaker s delegation to China in October 2016, including, for the first time, a trade and business component. 18

19 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Performance assessment Performance indicator Target for 2016/17 All advice to the Speaker and members about inter-parliamentary relations is accurate and politically sustainable The CPA and IPU Executive Committee and CPA and IPU Groups have all the information required to make decisions supporting engagement with inter-parliamentary organisations The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Pacific Regional Meetings have the information required to make decisions affecting the region The annual inter-parliamentary relations programme meets the expectations of the Speaker and members Performance assessment for 2016/17 100% Achieved 100% Achieved 100% Not achieved on one occasion 11 The Speaker approves the programme and the programme is executed to the satisfaction of the Speaker and members Achieved Financial performance 2016 Actual $ Actual $ Main Estimates $000 Unaudited 2017 Supp Estimates $ Forecast $000 1,129 Revenue Crown 1,169 1,063 1,169 1,185 2 Other revenue 1,131 Total revenue 1,169 1,063 1,169 1,185 1,083 Total expenses 1,051 1,063 1,169 1, Net surplus 118 Since 1 July 2011, outputs in this class have been provided as a multi-year appropriation. The current multi-year appropriation commenced on 1 July 2014 and expired on 30 June Summary of service performance The diagram on the following page illustrates the linkages between the outcome the Office exists to achieve, the impacts sought and the progress the Office made in 2016/17 towards those impacts and the services provided. 11 Executive Committee minutes were not completed on one occasion. 19

20 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 Priorities of Parliament Outcome the Office worked towards Impacts the things the Office did to bring about a more effective legislature Strategic priorities that contributed towards impacts Activities Foundation Acting as a legislature, providing representation of the people of New Zealand, consenting to taxation of expenditure of public monies, scrutinising the executive to ensure better public sector outcomes for all New Zealanders and forming a government A legislature in which members of Parliament are able to discharge their constitutional duties in respect of the consideration of legislation and other parliamentary business, and interested parties are informed and able to participate Parliament remains relevant because it has the capacity to adapt its procedures Advocated for and advised on approach to next review of the Standing Orders Upheld parliamentary conventions Updated Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand (McGee) Enhanced statutory framework for parliamentary privilege Provided secretariat services to the House and its committees Noted the proceedings of the House and committees Maintained the parliamentary record Advocated for Parliament through independent advice Effective parliamentary scrutiny enhances government outcomes Enhanced legislative quality Assisted members in their financial scrutiny role Provided fit-forpurpose online select committee system Investigated ways to provide members with more timely information in more a more accessible way Supported legislative scrutiny in select committees Supported financial scrutiny in the House and select committees Public respect for the institution of Parliament grows because the public is informed about what Parliament is doing and is able to participate Implemented communications strategy for Parliament Enhanced Hansard s relevance and efficiency Implemented captioning system for Parliament TV Developed ways for New Zealanders to engage with their representatives Published, broadcast, and captioned proceedings of the House Well-run Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives (organisational health and capability) Parliament s capacity is enhanced by members engagement with other parliaments and interparliamentary organisations Implemented interparliamentary relations strategy Provided members with professional development opportunities Managed the Speaker s annual inter-parliamentary relations programme Provided advice to the Speaker and members on interparliamentary relations Supported international parliamentary organisations 20

21 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Speaker s statement on the Office s performance information on appropriations for the year ended 30 June 2017 The work of the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives is largely demand driven by the Government, the House, committees, and members of Parliament. The Office of the Clerk provides services for the sittings of the House and meetings of committees to facilitate the consideration of legislation and scrutiny of government activity and public participation in the legislative and scrutiny processes. In no case can the Office control the number of bills introduced, inquiries held, questions asked or submissions received from the public. As Speaker, I am the Responsible Minister for the Office. But, more importantly, there is a constitutional relationship with the Clerk of the House in the matter of the provision of accurate and independent professional procedural advice, which aims to ensure that members are able to perform their constitutional duties and a properly functioning legislature is maintained. The role of the Clerk and the staff of his Office contribute to the maintenance of a functioning democracy. As Speaker, I am in regular contact with the members on sitting days and members have opportunities to raise with me any matters of concern or commendation on the performance of the Office. I am therefore satisfied that I can affirm that the standards stated in this section, and the performance against them, are accurate and have been met to my satisfaction. Rt Hon David Carter Speaker of the House of Representatives 21

22 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE Statements of expenses and capital expenditure The following statements report information about the expenses and capital expenditure incurred against each appropriation administered by the Office for the year ended 30 June Statement of actual expenses and capital expenditure incurred against appropriations for the year ended 30 June 2017 Actual expenditure 2016 $000 Vote Office of the Clerk Departmental output expenses Actual expenditure 2017 $000 Approved appropriation 2017 $000 17,934 Secretarial Services for the House of Representatives * 18,913 19,545 17,934 Total departmental output expenses 18,913 19,545 1,296 Departmental capital expenses* 2,920 1,283 1,296 Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Permanent Legislative Authority 2,920 1,283 19,230 Total annual and permanent appropriations 21,833 20,828 *Performance reporting on these outputs is contained in this annual report. Multi-year appropriation The Office has a multi-year appropriation for Inter-parliamentary Relations, for services to improve relations between the New Zealand Parliament and other Parliaments, including providing advice on inter-parliamentary relations to the Speaker and members, establishing and implementing an annual programme of incoming and outgoing visits, developing and implementing individual visit programmes, assisting to build the capacity of the Pacific Island Parliaments, supporting (including through travel to meetings overseas) the New Zealand Parliament s contribution on global issues at international parliamentary organisations and hosting international parliamentary conferences. The current appropriation commenced on 1 July 2014 and expired on 30 June Actual $000 Vote Office of the Clerk Appropriation for output expenses 2017 Actual $ Main Estimates $ Supp Estimates $000 3,095 Total adjusted appropriation 3,155 3,095 3, Accumulated expenses to 1 July ,986 2,032 1,986 1,083 Current year expenses * 1,051 1,063 1,169 1,986 Cumulative expenses to 30 June ,037 3,095 3,155 1,109 Remaining appropriation unspent as at 30 June * Performance reporting on these outputs is contained in this annual report. 22

23 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Statement of expenses and capital expenditure incurred without, or in excess of, appropriation or other authority for the year ended 30 June 2017 There were no expenses or capital expenditure incurred in excess of appropriation, without appropriation or outside the scope or period of appropriation (2016: Nil). Statement of departmental capital injections for the year ended 30 June Actual $ Actual $ Approved appropriation $000 - Capital injections 2,323 2,323 - Total capital injections 2,323 2,323 Statement of departmental capital injections without, or in excess of, authority for the year ended 30 June 2017 The Office has not received any capital injections during the year without, or in excess of, authority (2016: Nil). 23

24 A.8 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE Organisational health and capability Governance and management model During 2016/17 we continued the process of systematically reviewing the Office s organisational structures and staffing to ensure that services are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible. This year the Education and Public Engagement, Parliamentary Relations and Organisational Performance teams were reviewed. In addition, in conjunction with the Parliamentary Service, we implemented the findings of the 2015/16 review of the Serjeant-at- Arms and Chamber Support functions. As a result of this review the Parliamentary Relations and Education and Public Engagement teams were merged under a single Manager Parliamentary Engagement, and additional positions were created to enhance support for implementation of the Parliament Communications Strategy. The review of the Office s corporate functions (planning, HR, finance, information systems and records management) has resulted in decentralisation and streamlining of some administrative tasks, disestablishment of the Organisational Performance group and the creation of a small Corporate Services team. In July 2016 the Serjeant-at-Arms and Chamber Support functions were successfully transferred from the Parliamentary Service to the Office. Our people Engagement The Office s Senior Leadership Team is committed to developing and sustaining a highperformance, high-engagement workforce. Levels of staff satisfaction and engagement continue to be high, as measured by the Gallup Q12 Survey. The Office s staff satisfaction score improved again this year, to 4.29 in 2016/17 from 4.16 in 2015/16, and our engagement score remained at the 69th percentile for New Zealand state sector organisations (4.14 in 2016/17 vs 4.17 in 2015/16). The Office continued to encourage the sharing of knowledge among staff. In 2016/17, staff travelled overseas on secondment, to Australia and to Fiji. The Office also arranged inward secondments of staff from the Australian Senate, the Parliaments of Western Australia and Queensland, the Office of Treaty Settlements, and the Ministry of Social Development. Intra-office secondments have also taken place, most notably between Select Committee Services, Hansard, and the House Office. The Office has hosted several knowledge-sharing events for staff throughout 2016/17, for example, interactive sessions with Children s Commissioner, and former Principal Youth Court Judge, Andrew Becroft and former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright. The professional development of staff remains a priority for the Senior Leadership Team. In 2016/17, three staff members attended the Parliamentary Law, Practice and Procedure course run by the Australia and New Zealand Association of Clerks-at-the-Table through the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Parliament. Similarly, one staff member attended the International Professional Development Programme for Parliamentary Staff run through McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The Office has witnessed a significant shift in its approach to performance management, away from a paperwork-heavy annual performance appraisal regime to people leaders and their reports having regular conversations on performance and development. The changes have been well received by staff and people leaders alike. The Office also strengthened its staff induction processes to ensure effective integration of new staff into the organisation. 24

25 OFFICE OF THE CLERK ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017 A.8 Collective Employment Agreement During 2016/17 the Office s Collective Employment Agreement was renegotiated with the Public Service Association (PSA). The new agreement has a three-year term ending on 31 July Significant changes were agreed to the Office s salary system to enhance our ability to recruit, retain and reward high calibre staff. We also agreed with the PSA to implement a highperformance-high-engagement (HPHE) approach to organisational issues affecting staff. HPHE will be piloted in the coming year with a review of Hansard s systems, staffing and structure. Diversity The Office is committed to being an employer of choice and to identifying and eliminating barriers to employment equality. Remuneration setting processes are in place to ensure that salaries are consistent and fair across the organisation. The Office is satisfied that pay and employment policies are being applied equitably. As at 30 June 2017: 7.4 percent of staff who declared an ethnicity self-identified as Māori, compared with 8.4 percent as at 30 June percent of staff who declared an ethnicity self-identified as being an ethnicity other than Māori or Pākehā, compared with 26.5 percent as at 30 June Workforce Strategy During 2016/17 interactive workshops were held with all staff and managers to define and document a clear Workforce Strategy for the Office. The strategy underpins the Office s goal of creating an engaging workplace of choice, with a workforce that is aligned with the Office s purpose and fit to meet the future needs of Parliament. Key elements of our Workforce Strategy are depicted below. Vision, values and culture: During 2016/17 the Senior Leadership Team actively communicated the Office s desired vision, values and culture. We developed the short animated video How we do things around here (viewable at and posters promoting our agreed values of openness, innovation, trustworthiness, courage, and impartiality are now prominently displayed throughout the Office. Leadership and staff capability: The Office is acutely aware of the vital part that leaders play in inspiring and modelling the desired vision, values and culture articulated through our workforce strategy. 25