Opinion Number. 585

Subject

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
WHETHER PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED AS A PARLIAMENTARY SERVICE OR AS PART OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Key Legislation

COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE ACT 1902. s.14: COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE ACT 1913

Date
Client
The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister asks to be advised whether under the provisions of the Act constituting the Public Works Committee, that Committee should, for administrative purposes, be placed under the President and the Speaker, or the Prime Minister's Department.

In my opinion, the Public Works Committee should, for administrative purposes, be dealt with on the same footing as the other Parliamentary services.

So far as the application of the Public Service Act is concerned, I think that its officers would come under section 14 of the Public Service Act, and the President and Speaker jointly would take the place of the Public Service Commissioner.

[Vol.13, p.225]