Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE ACT 1999 - SECT 57

Roles of Secretaries

  (1)   The roles of the Secretary of a Department include, but are not limited to, the following:

  (a)   principal adviser to the Presiding Officer on matters relating to the Department;

  (b)   leader, providing stewardship within the Department and, in partnership with other Secretaries, across the Parliamentary Service;

  (c)   any other role prescribed by the determinations.

Responsibilities of Secretaries

  (2)   The responsibilities of the Secretary of a Department are as follows:

  (a)   to manage the affairs of the Department efficiently, effectively, economically and ethically;

  (b)   to advise the Presiding Officer about matters relating to the Department;

  (c)   to implement measures directed at ensuring that the Department complies with the law;

  (d)   to provide leadership, strategic direction and a focus on results for the Department;

  (e)   to engage with stakeholders, particularly in relation to the core activities of the Department;

  (f)   to manage the affairs of the Department in a way that is not inconsistent with the interests of the Parliamentary Service as a whole;

  (g)   to assist the Presiding Officer to fulfil the Presiding Officer's accountability obligations to the Parliament to provide factual information, as required by the Parliament, in relation to the operation and administration of the Department;

  (h)   such other responsibilities as are prescribed by the determinations.

  (3)   Subsection   ( 2) does not affect a Secretary's responsibilities under any other law.

Note:   See, for example, the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 .