DEPARTMENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF HOUSE THE OF DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Annual Report Annual Report | Annual 2018–19 2018–19 DEPARTMENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Annual Report 2018–19 © Commonwealth of Australia 2019 ISSN 0157-3233 (Print) ISSN 2201-1730 (Online) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia Licence. The details of this licence are available on the Creative Commons website: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au. Acknowledgment The Department of the House of Representatives acknowledges the Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continued connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to their Cultures, Country and Elders past, present and emerging. Use of the Coat of Arms The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the website of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at www.dpmc.gov.au/pmc/publication/commonwealth-coat-arms-information-and-guidelines. Produced by the Department of the House of Representatives Editing and indexing by The Happy Apostrophe Design by Lisa McDonald Printing by Parliamentary and Business Information Services Office Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs in this report were taken by staff of the Department of the House of Representatives. Front cover: The Mace in the Chamber of the House of Representatives. Image: Penny Bradfield, Auspic/DPS. Back cover: House of Representatives courtyard. Image: David Foote, Auspic/DPS. The department welcomes your comments on this report. To make a comment, or to request more information, please contact: Serjeant-at-Arms Department of the House of Representatives PO Box 6021 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Telephone: +61 2 6277 4444 Facsimile: +61 2 6277 2006 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aph.gov.au/house/dept Web address for report: www.aph.gov.au/house/ar18-19 ii Department of the House of Representatives 10 October 2019 The Hon Tony Smith MP Speaker of the House of Representatives Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Dear Mr Speaker Pursuant to section 65 of the Parliamentary Services Act 1999 and section 46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, I have pleasure in submitting to you, for presentation to the House, the annual report of the Department of the House of Representatives for the year ended 30 June 2019. As required by section 10 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014, I certify that: • the department has prepared fraud risk assessments and fraud control plans • the department has in place appropriate mechanisms for fraud prevention, detection, investigation, recording and reporting mechanisms that meet the department’s specific needs • all reasonable measures have been taken to deal appropriately with fraud relating to the department. Yours sincerely Claressa Surtees Clerk of the House Annual Report 2018–19 iii About this report The Department of the House of Representatives supports the House of Representatives, and the wider parliament, in the role of a representative and legislative body. This annual report details our activities during the 2018–19 financial year. Overviews The overviews section includes a review by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is the department’s chief executive and accountable authority. The departmental overview describes the department’s purpose, role and functions, organisational structure, and outcome and program structure. Performance The performance section includes the annual performance statement, which assesses the department’s performance against measures and targets set out in its corporate plan. This section also includes a summary of financial performance, including the entity resource statement, and reports on the main activities supported during the year for each program area. Management and accountability The management and accountability section describes the department’s approach to corporate governance, details of external scrutiny of the department’s operations, the management of its people and assets, its obligations under various laws, and the management of financial resources. Financial statements The financial statements section includes an independent auditor’s report, a statement by the Clerk and Chief Finance Officer, and financial statements showing how the department spent the money allocated to it by the parliament. Appendixes The appendixes give detailed information about the department’s work in supporting the House, the parliament, committees and visitors. The appendixes also include a contact directory, and a list of mandatory requirements for annual reports and where each component can be found throughout this report. Abbreviations and acronyms, and index Finally, to aid in navigating and interpreting the report, there is a list of abbreviations and acronyms, and an index. iv Department of the House of Representatives Contents Letter of transmittal iii About this report iv Our department—a snapshot vii Part 1 Overviews 1 Appendixes 139 Clerk’s review 2 1. Business of the House and Departmental overview 8 Federation Chamber 140 2. Committee activity 143 Part 2 Performance 13 3. Committee reports and inquiries 145 Annual performance statement 14 4. Publications 155 Financial performance 29 5. Official incoming parliamentary Chamber and Federation Chamber 31 delegations 157 Committee support 46 6. Other incoming parliamentary delegations 158 Inter-parliamentary relations 7. Outgoing parliamentary and capacity-building 52 delegations 160 Community awareness 58 8. Parliamentary capacity-building 163 Members’ and corporate support 65 9. Contact directory 166 Schools hospitality 72 10. List of requirements 167 Part 3 Management Abbreviations and acronyms 172 and accountability 73 Corporate governance 74 Index 173 External scrutiny 83 Management of people 84 Management of financial resources 96 Part 4 Financial statements 99 Annual Report 2018–19 v Figures Tables 1 Departmental structure at 1 Performance summary, Chamber and 30 June 2019 9 Federation Chamber, 2014–15 to 2 Outcome and program structure, 2018–19 32 2018–19 11 2 Questions in writing to ministers and 3 Government and private members’ answers to questions in writing, business and business of the House 2014–15 to 2018–19 34 (Chamber and Federation Chamber), 3 Number of bills introduced in the 2015 to 2019 35 House, and number of bills assented 4 Number of committee meetings to, 2014–15 to 2018–19 37 supported by the Committee Office, 4 Private members’ bills introduced and 2014–15 to 2018–19 48 amendments moved (Chamber and 5 Number of reports tabled by Federation Chamber), 2014–15 to committees supported by the 2018–19 37 Committee Office, 2014–15 to 5 Petitions and signatories to petitions, 2018–19 48 2014–15 to 2018–19 38 6 Staff survey satisfaction elements, 6 Committees of the Forty-fifth 2015–2019 88 Parliament supported by the Committee Office 46 7 Students visiting Parliament House, by location and year, 2014–15 to 2018–19 72 8 Employment type by classification and gender, at 30 June 2019 84 9 Employment type by classification and gender, at 30 June 2018 85 10 Employment type by employment status, at 30 June 2018 and 30 June 2019 85 11 Employment type by office and location, at 30 June 2018 and 30 June 2019 86 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, at 30 June 2018 and 30 June 2019 86 13 Staff attendance at training courses 90 14 Employment arrangements for SES and non-SES staff, at 30 June 2019 92 15 Salary scales of staff covered by the 2017–20 enterprise agreement, as at 30 June 2019 92 16 Key management personnel, 2018–19 93 17 Remuneration and benefits of key management personnel, 2018–19 94 vi Department of the House of Representatives Our department—a snapshot Our staff The House—we supported of our workforce 371 hours 62% of the House sitting over are female 42 sitting days 130 hours of our Executive of meetings held in the 33% are female Federation Chamber Elections 85 divisions 1 general election conducted in the House and 6 by-elections were held in 2018–19 155 bills introduced and Our community 14 8 bills assented to 6,648 YouTube subscribers 543 meetings of 2,102 24 committees, Newsletter subscribers which presented 100 reports 7,105 Facebook followers 19 0 petitions presented 44,843 with Twitter followers 199,084 signatories Our world —we supported visits to the parliament 33 by incoming delegations representing 23 countries 23 outgoing delegations, which represented the parliament in 21 countries Annual Report 2018–19 vii viii Department of the House of Representatives Part 1 Overviews Clerk’s review 2 Departmental overview 8 View of the House of Representatives Chamber from the Table. Image: Penny Bradfield, Auspic/DPS. Part 1 Clerk’s review Overview 2018–19 was an eventful year for the department, with the complex and ever-changing political environment colouring the work we do. The significant issues and developments for the department during 2018–19 can be characterised as relating to the political environment, and departmental capability, innovation and collaboration. The political environment The role our department plays in uncertain circumstances is vital in supporting the parliamentary institution as it comes under great pressure and strain. In 2018–19 uncertainty related to ructions caused by section 44(i) of the Australian Constitution, changes in political leadership and ministerial roles, loss of a government majority in the House, and the 2019 general election. Early in the reporting period, on 28 July 2018, five by-elections were held in four states. Four of these by-elections related to questions arising around members’ qualifications under section 44(i) of the Australian Constitution, and a further by-election was caused by the resignation of one member for unrelated reasons. This was the greatest number of by-elections held on the one date since Federation. Following the declaration of polls, the department had a role in welcoming back returning members, and welcoming one new member.