OFFICE FACILIT PART THREE: ACCOMMODATION AND OFFICE FACILITIES ACCOMMODAT

OFFICE FACILIT PART THREE: ACCOMMODATION AND OFFICE FACILITIES ACCOMMODAT

CONTENTS 3.1 Parliament House Office... 3 3.2 Electorate Office... 4 3.3 Commonwealth Parliament Offices (CPO) Visiting Suites... 5 3.4 Additional Postage Allowance... 6 2

For activities associated with Parliamentary, electorate or official business, each Parliamentary Secretary is entitled to office accommodation at official expense in: Parliament House; and his or her electorate. 3.1 Parliament House Office The suites of Parliamentary Secretaries are located in the Senate or House of Representatives, as appropriate. The allocation and arrangement of these suites is a matter for the relevant Presiding Officer. Finance also provides the secure Ministerial Communications Network. The portfolio department is responsible for: furniture or equipment additional to the standard fitout provided by the Parliamentary Department (including additional information technology and communications equipment); repairs to and maintenance of any additional furniture and equipment provided by the portfolio department; delivery and removal of departmental furniture and equipment and other departmental property to and from the Parliament House suite (in conjunction with the relevant Parliamentary Department); office requisites and stationery; additional telephone and data transmission services; and the cost of CABNET computer terminals and printers, which are supplied by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Parliamentary Departments are responsible for: telephones and a standard facsimile machine; and standard computer facilities linked to the Parliament House network (as provided for all Senators and Members). 3

3.2 Electorate Office The establishment, relocation, extension or refurbishment of an electorate office requires the prior approval of the Special Minister of State. Responsibility for the provision of services and equipment to a Parliamentary Secretary s office is shared by Ministerial and Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Secretary s portfolio department, as set out below. Subject to the approval of the Special Minister of State, a Parliamentary Secretary may be provided with an additional 50m 2 of electorate office space to accommodate the additional staff allocated to assist with official duties. Ministerial and Parliamentary Services is responsible for: lease of the accommodation; standard fitout (to accommodate the Parliamentary Secretary and electorate employees); 1 standard office furniture, equipment (including computer equipment) and office requisites (including stationery and printing) as provided to all Senators and Members; installation and ongoing costs associated with four telephone lines plus one data transmission line (for example, a facsimile machine); publications arranged by the Parliamentary Secretary under his or her entitlement as a Senator or Member; and advertising of the office location and contact numbers. The Parliamentary Secretary s portfolio department is responsible for: any special fitout requirements requested by the Parliamentary Secretary or relating to the Parliamentary Secretary s duties (for example, additional sound proofing); additional or alternative furniture or equipment requested by the Parliamentary Secretary (including additional information technology and communications equipment) where these items are beyond the standard ordinarily provided for an electorate office; repairs to and maintenance of furniture and equipment provided by the portfolio department; installation of any additional telephone and data transmission services (beyond those to which the Parliamentary Secretary is entitled as a Senator or Member); ongoing costs associated with all additional office telephone services and data transmission lines related to the Parliamentary Secretary s portfolio duties (except the Ministerial Communications Network and the basic telephone and facsimile services to which the Parliamentary Secretary is entitled in his or her capacity as a Senator or Member and for which Finance pays transmission and maintenance costs); publications, other than those arranged by the Parliamentary Secretary under his or her entitlement to publications as a Senator or Member; and postage costs related to Parliamentary Secretary duties. 2 Each electorate office is connected to Parliament House through computer network services provided by the Department of Parliamentary Services. 1 Item 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990. 2 Subsection 4(2) and item 7 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990. 4

3.3 Commonwealth Parliament Offices (CPO) Visiting Suites Subject to availability, Parliamentary Secretaries may access visiting suites, conference rooms and Telepresence facilities in the CPO in each State capital city and in Darwin during the normal business hours of the CPO. Parliamentary Secretaries and their staff are advised to consult the relevant CPO about opening hours and facilities, prior to visiting the CPO. Bookings for CPO visiting suites and conference rooms (and requests for a car parking space in some circumstances) should be made through the relevant Ministerial and Parliamentary Services State or Territory Office. Employees do not have an entitlement to use CPO visiting suites, unless they are accompanying their employing Parliamentary Secretary. They do not have access to CPO parking spaces. o Go to Senators and Members Entitlements - 3.11 Commonwealth Parliament Offices (CPO) for further information 5

3.4 Additional Postage Allowance A Parliamentary Secretary is entitled to the cost of postage in relation to official business, other than postage for a bulk mail-out. 3 Whilst the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 does not define official business it has traditionally been interpreted as business arising from carrying out the duties and fulfilling the responsibilities of a Parliamentary Secretary. A Parliamentary Secretary s portfolio department is responsible for administering the entitlement. 3 Subsection 4(2) and item 7 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990. 6

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/) licence. To the extent that copyright subsists in a third party, permission will be required from the third party to reuse the material. The document must be attributed as the Commonwealth of Australia, Parliamentary Secretaries Entitlements handbook. Use of the Coat of Arms The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the following website: http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/coat-arms/. Contact Us Inquiries regarding the licence and any use of the material on this website are welcome at: Director Communications and Public Affairs Department of Finance John Gorton Building King Edward Terrace Parkes ACT 2600 Email: financepublications@finance.gov.au Produced by Ministerial and Parliamentary Services. The information contained in this handbook is provided for general information only. It remains the responsibility of Senators and Members to familiarise themselves with the entitlements provided to them under legislation, Determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal and as otherwise provided by Government. Where you are unsure of an entitlement, please contact your Entitlements Manager before taking any action or decision on the basis of any material contained in this publication alone. 7