Overview of the Employment Framework for MOP(S) Act Employees

Employees of Senators and Members, and certain former Parliamentarians, are employed under the MOP(S) Act. Over the course of 2008-09, there were two types of employment arrangements for employees under Parts III and IV of the MOP(S) Act1:

  • Determination 2007/PM/1 under the MOP(S) Act - Terms and Conditions of Employment for Employees Above the Level of Adviser for MOP(S) Act senior staff from 9 December 2007; and
  • The Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Collective Agreement 2006-2009 for MOP(S) Act employees at and below the level of Adviser.

There are two types of employees under the MOP(S) Act - electorate employees and personal employees. Within each of these categories there are several classification levels.

The Prime Minister allocates personal employee positions at specified classifications to Office Holders2. Each Senator and Member is also allocated four or five electorate officer positions and a relief staff budget for the employment of additional electorate officers for peak workloads and to fill vacancies due to leave.

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Footnotes

1 There are also employees at Kirribilli House and the Lodge who are not covered by these arrangements. Their employment arrangements are administered by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

2 “Office Holder” is defined in section 3 of the MOP(S) Act to mean: a person who holds a relevant office; a person, not being a Senator or Member of the House of Representatives, who held the office of Prime Minister; or a person in respect of whom a determination by the Prime Minister under section 12 of the MOP(S) Act is in force.

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