1A. 2 Report of the Parliamentary Service Commission for the year ended 30 June 2003 Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to Schedule 2, Clause 11, of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000 A. 2 2 REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE COMMISSION Membership and Committees The Parliamentary Service Commission comprises representatives from all parties represented in Parliament. The membership of the Parliamentary Service Commission from 1 July 2002 was: Rt. Hon Jonathan Hunt, MP (Chair) David Benson-Pope, MP (representing the Labour party) Peter Brown, MP (representing the NZ First party) Gerry Brownlee, MP (representing the Leader of the Opposition, and the National party) Hon Mark Burton, MP (representing the Leader of the House, and the Labour party) John Carter, MP (representing the National party) Rod Donald, MP (representing the Green party) Hon Peter Dunne, MP (representing the United Future New Zealand party) Hon Richard Prebble, C.B.E., MP (representing the ACT New Zealand party) Hon Matt Robson, MP (representing the Progressive Coalition party) The Interim Commission between Parliaments comprised: Rt. Hon Jonathan Hunt, MP (Chair) Rick Barker, MP (representing the Leader of the House) Hon Roger Sowry, MP (representing the Leader of the Opposition) The House Committee was a committee of the Commission and its membership comprised: Ann Hartley, MP (Chair) Marc Alexander, MP Deborah Coddington, MP 3A. 2 Darren Hughes, MP Sue Kedgley, MP Pita Paraone, MP Pansy Wong, MP A sub-committee to review security measures at Parliament was constituted and its membership comprised: John Carter, MP (Chair) David Benson-Pope, MP Ron Mark, MP Hon Mark Burton, MP, and John Carter, MP, were the Parliamentary Service Commission appointees to the Parliamentary Corporation pursuant to section 29(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000. Thirteen meetings of the Parliamentary Service Commission were held throughout the year ending 30 June 2003. Triennial Review One of the features of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000, is the provision for an independent review of parliamentary appropriations to take place on a triennial basis. The first appropriations review committee was appointed in May 2002 to review administrative and support services to the House of Representatives and to members of Parliament, and funding entitlements for parliamentary purposes. The review was chaired by Barry Dineen, the Chair of the Business and Parliament Trust and former Chair and Managing Director of Shell Companies in New Zealand, who was joined by former members Joy Quigley and the Hon Stan Rodger. Their report, Resourcing Parliament, presented to the House in October 2002, made 37 recommendations covering the topics of: • budgetary support for parliamentary parties and MPs and enhancements to services for MPs; • staff remuneration prospects; • the use of information and communications technology for parliamentary purposes and to enhance public participation; • support for select committees; and, A. 2 4 • budget management, primarily bulk funding, the management of out-of-Parliament offices and the development of principles to distinguish parliamentary business from other political activity that ought not to be funded from the public purse. The Commission spent significant time during the year discussing the recommendations made in the report. A Cabinet paper seeking funding to implement some of those recommendations was prepared and extra funding was approved by Cabinet for members’ staff support, additional library services to Select Committees and further party and member support. Broadband Internet access for members’ out-of-Parliament offices was agreed within existing resources. Review of travel, accommodation, attendance and communications services for members The Remuneration Authority (Members of Parliament) Amendment Act 2002, passed in December 2002, required that the Parliamentary Service Commission review the travel, accommodation, attendance, and communications services in respect of members of Parliament as soon as practicable after the commencement of the Act on 1 April 2003. In February, the Chair of the Commission invited submissions from all non- Executive members. A working document was prepared in light of the information received outlining the issues of services for members. At the end of the financial year, the review process was still moving forward. Review of security measures at Parliament In light of worldwide events that have had the effect of highlighting security issues, a review of security measures at Parliament was undertaken by a working party of officers from the Parliamentary Service, Office of the Clerk, Ministerial Services of the Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand Police and the Security Intelligence Service. Recommendations from that working group were taken to the Commission for consideration and the Commission established a subcommittee to consider the recommendations. The subcommittee agreed to increase the level of security by means of better control of access to the buildings and Parliament grounds. A major feature of the enhanced measures will be the provision in the future of walk-through magnetometers and x-ray screening facilities at Parliament. Further security measures will be implemented during the coming year. 5A. 2 Refurbishment of the Executive Wing Stage three of this project (the refurbishment of floors four through ten) has continued over the year with good progress being made. The seventh floor was completed in mid-September 2002, which allowed the Prime Minister’s office to move to that floor while floors eight, nine and ten were refurbished. It is expected that the Prime Minister’s office and the Cabinet Office will return to floors nine and ten respectively in mid- August 2003. The expected completion date for the whole of stage three is scheduled for September 2003. The next stage of the refurbishment project involves replacing the air conditioning plant in the sub-basement of the building and a contract is expected to be let early next year. Sketch plan proposals for stage two of the project are being finalised. This stage involves the public areas, function venues, kitchen facilities, dining rooms and other areas from the basement to third floor inclusive. The sketch plans will be made available to interested groups for comment and consultation. 150th anniversary of the establishment of Parliament 2004 marks the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of the New Zealand Parliament under the provisions of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (United Kingdom). Parliament, then called the General Assembly, met in Auckland for the first time on 24 May 1854. To mark this event, a series of coordinated activities is being organised by a steering committee representing all interested parties. In conjunction with this, the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service are jointly funding the writing of the first official history of the New Zealand Parliament from that first meeting in 1854 through to the present time. General Manager, Parliamentary Service I would like to pay special tribute to John O’Sullivan, who retired as General Manager of the Parliamentary Service in March 2003. He headed the Service through a period of great change including the refurbishment of Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library and the Executive Wing as well as managing the transition to MMP with its associated increase in the number of MPs and staff. A. 2 6 I would also like to welcome Mr Joel George, who started as General Manager, Parliamentary Service, in March 2003. Mr George brings with him considerable leadership experience in the New Zealand Army, as well as senior management experience at the Department of Internal Affairs and as CEO of the Wairarapa District Health Board. I look forward to a fruitful association with him. RT. HON JONATHAN HUNT Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission.