Office of the Clerk

What is the Office of the Clerk

The Office of the Clerk was established under section 14 of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Act 1988. It is a politically independent organisation, providing services to Parliament, as distinct from services to the Government, and providing services to members in their parliamentary roles rather than in their party or electorate capacities.

The Office supports several functions in Parliament:

provision of services to the House and its committees
advocacy for Parliament through independent advice
recording, broadcasting, and communicating parliamentary information
building parliamentary capability and connections
connecting the public to Parliament and its members.

We support the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other presiding officers, members of the House of Representatives, select committees, the Public Service, and New Zealanders who engage with Parliament and their elected members.

We also work closely with parliaments internationally, with a particular focus on the Pacific.

Who works for the Office of the Clerk

The Office of the Clerk is headed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives. The current Clerk is Dr David Wilson.

The Deputy Clerk is the House’s second principal permanent officer and deputy chief executive. The current Deputy Clerk is Suze Jones, who also leads the House Services team.

James Picker is the Clerk Assistant and is the senior manager for Select Committee Services.

The Office and the Parliamentary Service work closely together, and the senior manager for Parliamentary Engagement, Amy Brier, is also responsible for Corporate Services in the Parliamentary Service.

There are three business groups in the Office of the Clerk:

House Office

The House Office supports sittings of the House and the certification of legislation passed by the House by:

providing advice on parliamentary procedure as it relates to House sittings
producing documents (such as the Order Paper) that the House requires to sit
vetting parliamentary questions
drafting amendments to bills
checking bills and providing procedural and technical advice at every stage of the legislative process
recording House decisions in the Journals of the House of Representatives.

Hansard

Hansard is responsible for producing the official report of debates of the New Zealand House of Representatives. They provide transcription, editorial, and publishing services to the New Zealand Parliament agencies.

Business Continuity and Chamber Operations

The Business Continuity and Chamber Operations team supports the institution of Parliament and the Office by delivering:

robust arrangements for Business Continuity Management, Emergency Management, and organisational resilience
the broadcast of all House proceedings via Parliament TV
support to the Speaker, presiding officers, the Clerk at the Table, and all members of Parliament in the debating chamber and lobbies.

Offices of Parliament and Executive Agencies

There are several organisations within the Parliament sector that are separate from Parliament itself. Most of these organisations come under two categories: Offices of Parliament, and the Executive Agencies. Offices of Parliament ensure government accountability and transparency, and the Executive Agencies support the operations of the government.

Offices of Parliament

There are three offices of Parliament — the Office of the Auditor General, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

Each is administered by an officer of Parliament appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives. They report direct to the House of Representatives.

Office of the Auditor-General

The Controller and Auditor-General is the auditor of every public entity. This includes auditing the Crown, public service departments, Crown entities, State enterprises, local authorities, and a number of other public bodies.

Office of the Ombudsman

There is currently one Ombudsman appointed. Their role is to investigate complaints about administrative decisions or recommendations made by New Zealand central, regional, and local government organisations or agencies. They are an independent review authority accountable to Parliament.

Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has wide powers to investigate and report on any matter where the environment may be adversely affected. Select committees may also ask the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment to advise them on environmental matters.

Executive agencies

The executive agencies in the parliamentary complex are the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Internal Affairs, and the Parliamentary Counsel Office.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) serves the Executive (the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet) with high quality, impartial advice and support services to assist Government decision-making.

Department of Internal Affairs

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is responsible for a wide range of services supporting government, communities, and citizenship. The Ministerial and Secretariat Services (MaSS) business group provides support services and policy advice for Ministers of the Crown. They publish the New Zealand Gazette and administer commissions of inquiry as and when required.

Parliamentary Counsel Office

The Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) is New Zealand's law drafting office. It drafts New Zealand Government Bills (except Inland Revenue Bills) and Legislative Instruments. And it publishes all New Zealand Bills, Acts, and Legislative Instruments on the New Zealand Legislation website and in hard copy.