A.2 Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2011 Parliamentary Service Commission Te Komihana O Te Whare Pāremata Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to Schedule 2, Clause 11 of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000 About the Parliamentary Service Commission The Parliamentary Service Commission (the Commission) is constituted under the Parliamentary Service Act 2000. The Commission has the following functions: • to advise the Speaker on matters such as the nature and scope of the services to be provided to the House of Representatives and members of Parliament; • recommend criteria governing funding entitlements for parliamentary purposes; • recommend persons who are suitable to be members of the review committee; and • consider and comment on draft reports prepared by review committees. The Commission may also require the Speaker or General Manager of the Parliamentary Service to report on matters relating to the administration or the exercise of any function, duty, or power under the Parliamentary Service Act 2000. Membership, Subcommittees and Committees Membership The membership of the Commission is governed under sections 15-18 of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000. Members of the Commission are: • the Speaker, who also chairs the Commission; • the Leader of the House, or a member of Parliament nominated by the Leader of the House; • the Leader of the Opposition, or a member of Parliament nominated by the Leader of the Opposition; • one member for each recognised party that is represented in the House by one or more members; and • an additional member for each recognised party that is represented in the House by 30 or more members (but does not include among its members the Speaker, the Leader of the House, or the Leader of the Opposition). Ministers of the Crown or Parliamentary Under-Secretaries may not be appointed to the Commission under this provision. Parliamentary Service Commission Members of the Parliamentary Service Commission, as at 30 June 2011 are: • Chair, Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith, MP • Leader of the House, Hon Gerry Brownlee, MP • For the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Annette King, MP • For the National Party, Chris Tremain, MP • For the Act Party, Hon Sir Roger Douglas, MP • For the Māori Party, Te Ururoa Flavell, MP • For the Labour Party, Hon Rick Barker, MP • For the Green Party, Metiria Tūrei, MP • For the Progressive Party, Hon Jim Anderton, MP The Commission met on 25 August 2010, 20 October 2010, 17 November 2010, 16 February 2011, and 13 April 2011 during 2010/11. The Commission may form subcommittees. Membership of the subcommittees is made up of Commission members. Committees The Commission may form committees to assist the Commission on any matter within the scope of its functions. Committee members do not have to be members of the Commission. Artworks Committee The Artworks Committee is charged with considering and advising on matters relating to the New Zealand Parliamentary Collection and on artworks generally in and around Parliament. Members of the Artworks Committee are: • Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith, MP (Chair) • Hon Steve Chadwick, MP • Hon Heather Roy, MP • Catherine Delahunty, MP • Nicky Wagner, MP • Hon John Boscawen, MP House Committee The House Committee is charged with considering and advising on matters relating to catering at Parliament. Members of the House Committee are: • Lindsay Tisch, MP (Chair) • Simon Bridges, MP • Hon Heather Roy, MP • Te Ururoa Flavell, MP • Kevin Hague, MP • Hon John Boscawen, MP • Hon Steve Chadwick, MP Security Committee The Security Committee is charged with considering and advising on matters relating to security at Parliament and out-of-Parliament offices. Members of the Security Committee are: • Hon Jim Anderton, MP (Chair) • Hon George Hawkins, MP • Dr Kennedy Graham, MP • Te Ururoa Flavell, MP • David Garrett, MP • Chester Borrows, MP • Hon Heather Roy, MP Information Communications Technology (ICT) Committee The Information Communications Technology (ICT) Committee is charged with considering and advising on matters relating to ICT and related matters at Parliament and to members outside of Parliament. Members of the ICT Committee are: • Clare Curran, MP (Chair) • Hon Heather Roy, MP • Michael Woodhouse, MP • Hon Rick Barker, MP • Metiria Tūrei, MP • Te Ururoa Flavell, MP Parliamentary Corporation The Parliamentary Corporation is chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith. Two appointments to the Parliamentary Corporation were made pursuant to section 29(1) (c) of the Parliamentary Service Act 2000. The appointed members are: • Hon Darren Hughes, MP/Hon Annette King, MP • Hon Gerry Brownlee, MP Matters Considered Canterbury Earthquakes Direction and Determination The Commission noted that the response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Canterbury Earthquakes on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 had placed a considerable burden on members based in Christchurch City, Waimakairiri and Selwyn Districts and recommended that the Speaker provide additional funding from Vote Parliamentary Service: Members Communication Appropriation. The Committee recommended that the Speaker provide funding of $10,000 for each electorate member and $6,300 for each list member based in Christchurch City, Waimakairiri and Selwyn Districts and that the prescribed staffing limits for members affected by the quakes be suspended until 30 June 2011. Member’s International Travel At the end of 2010 the Speaker’s Directions (No 2) 2010 was approved after consideration of advice from the Commission which changed the entitlements for international air travel for members and their spouses. The main effect of the change was to end members’ and their spouses’ use of travel rebates for private international travel. For members’ spouses, funding of international travel stopped while, an interim regime was established for members so that rebates could be claimed only for travel that was for parliamentary business. From 1 January 2011 all international travel that is funded by the Parliamentary Service was for work-related purposes and subject to approval by the Speaker on the recommendation of the party Whip. Speaker’s Directions Work Programme The Commission advised the Speaker that the Speaker’s Directions (No 2) 2010 be amended in a number of respects: • Changes to key terms, in particular ‘primary place of residence’ and ‘home’; • Changes to the Wellington Accommodation payment whereby members who have an interest in their Wellington accommodation shall be entitled to an accommodation payment based on the market rental valuation; • Reimbursement of parking costs where a member is using a rental car or claiming mileage; • Directions in response to a declared emergency; and • Minor technical amendments. Conclusion I would like to thank both Commission members and those members who served on the Commission’s committees for their work during the year. Your advice has been valuable to me as Speaker and responsible Vote Minister for the Parliamentary Service. I look forward to working with members on the Commission and its committees in the future. Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith, MP Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission .