The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I rise very briefly to indicate support for the Statute Amendment (Parliament—Executive Officer and Clerks) Bill 2024, noting that I have a bill that covers some of the same territory on the Notice Paper at present. This bill ensures changes that will ensure that an executive officer is the central person with responsibility for a range of functions currently divided between various other officers, including the clerks of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly in this parliament and chief officers of the divisions of the Joint Parliamentary Service.
The executive officer is to be appointed by the committee on terms and conditions determined by the committee, including the executive officer's remuneration. In addition to that, the Remuneration Tribunal will, going forward, play more of a role in the setting of salaries of the clerks. I have a page of circulated amendments, two main features of which I will speak to as I move them but will outline right now.
One is to ensure that the purpose of the Joint Parliamentary Service is to provide support and facilities to members of parliament in undertaking their parliamentary duties; and the second is for a review of this particular piece of legislation, which is a really welcome reform, one of many that have been occurring in previous years, the most obvious coming out of the EO commissioner's report for a People and Culture Unit for this parliamentary workplace. Having an executive officer also gives opportunity for the parliamentary workplace to continue to be modernised.
My proposal is that 10 months after appointment that executive officer will provide a report. Originally, I had in my amendments that the minister would then provide a response to that report. I understand, in negotiations with the government, they are supportive of the approach but they would prefer that the presiding members respond to that report, still within the same timeframes. I think it is a reasonable compromise. With that, I commend the bill and I commend the Greens' amendments but note that I have worked with government and that there is a government amendment to the Greens' amendment that is amenable to the Greens.