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ParliamentParliamentary departmentExists today

Department of the House of Representatives

1901 – present

Parliamentary department, headed by the Clerk of the House, that supports the House of Representatives, the Speaker, members and House and joint committees.

How it came into existence

Established in 1901 to serve the House of Representatives when the first Commonwealth Parliament met in Melbourne. It had no Commonwealth predecessor.

Legislation: Parliamentary Service Act 1999

Changes during its life

  1. 9 May 1927Moved with the Parliament from Melbourne to the provisional Parliament House in Canberra.
  2. 1988Moved into the new Parliament House on Capital Hill.
  3. 5 December 1999The Parliamentary Service Act 1999 commenced, giving the department its statutory basis and making its staff parliamentary service employees.

Main functions

  • Procedural advice to the Speaker and members
  • Chamber support and the formal records of the House
  • Secretariat support to House and joint committees
  • Services to members and their offices
  • Community engagement and information about the House

Where it sits

Type of body
Non-corporate Commonwealth entity
Portfolio
Parliamentary Departments
Accountable authority
The Clerk of the House – Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 section 12(2) item 2, see also Parliamentary Service Act 1999 section 7
ABN
18 526 287 740

Lineage

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Sources