Parliamentary secretary
A parliamentary secretary is a
In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and Singapore, it is customary for the prime minister to appoint parliamentary secretaries from their political party in parliament to assist cabinet ministers with their work. The role of parliamentary secretaries varies under different prime ministers. The post has often served as a training ground for future ministers.
In the Commonwealth
Australia
In Australia, parliamentary secretaries are appointed in the federal government and most state governments. At the federal level, the Australian constitution provides only for the appointment of "ministers of state". Under current practice, ministers of state are divided into three levels: parliamentary secretaries are the third level, after cabinet ministers (ministers who are members of the Cabinet of Australia) and other ministers. Since 2015, "parliamentary secretaries" have been known as "assistant ministers" instead. However, the Ministers of State Act 1952 still refers to "parliamentary secretaries", as a category of "ministers of state". The Prime Minister is permitted to appoint a member from either house of Parliament to be a parliamentary secretary to a minister. As they are ministers of state for constitutional purposes, parliamentary secretaries may be paid a salary.[1]
According to Paul Keating in 1993, "the institution of Parliamentary Secretary provides a very inexpensive means not only of giving talented individuals executive experience but providing Ministers with needed support."[2]
In the state of Queensland, parliamentary secretaries were re-designated as 'assistant ministers' following the 2012 Queensland election.[3]
Canada
During
Chrétien's successor as Canadian Prime Minister,
Ceylon
Under the
Malaysia
New Zealand
The position titled Parliamentary Under-Secretary is established by the Constitution Act 1986.[4] Unlike ministers in the New Zealand Government, parliamentary under-secretaries are not members of the Executive Council.
Singapore
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United Kingdom
In the
A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), on the other hand, is a Member of Parliament who acts as an unpaid assistant to an individual minister, but has no ministerial role, although is expected to support the government at all times.
Outside the Commonwealth
Germany
A Parliamentary State Secretary (Parlamentarischer Staatssekretär, PStS) is a member of the Bundestag given a portfolio to assist a Minister with running a government ministry. The position is roughly analogous to deputy ministers.[5]
In 2021, there are 36 parliamentary state secretaries in the Merkel IV Cabinet. The position was first introduced in 1967 to help younger politicians gain experience for future ministerial roles.[6]
Ireland
In the Irish Free State, the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 created the post of Parliamentary Secretary, originally limited to seven holders. In 1978, the office was superseded in Ireland by the office of Minister of State.
See also
References
- ^ Department of the Senate (February 2013). "Ministers in the Senate - Senate Brief No. 14". Australian Parliament House. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ Keating, Paul (24 March 1993), Statement by the Prime Minister, archived from the original on 25 February 2014
- ^ "Our Structure". Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^ Constitution Act 1986, 13 December 1986, pp. 6–7, retrieved 3 November 2020
- ^ Langenbacher, Eric; Conradt, David P. The German Polity (11th ed.). New York: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 272.
- ^ "Die Finanzierung der Parlamentarischen Staatssekretäre – Die wichtigsten Fakten". Bund der Steuerzahler Deutschland .