Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (MaPS) is a Division within the Department of Finance. MaPS administers the provision of non-travel related work expenses and services to parliamentarians and their respective employees, as well as providing car-with-driver services via COMCAR to eligible clients. Some services extend to former Prime Ministers and their staff.
MaPS administers the employment framework for staff of parliamentarians and provides a number of HR and support services.
Parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act employees can seek support and guidance in relation to any of these services via the MaPS Help Desk and state and territory managers.
Office management services
The following office management services are provided to parliamentarians and their staff:
- providing electorate-based facilities and services to parliamentarians, including office accommodation and equipment
- managing the provision of services in the Ministerial Wing of Parliament House and the Commonwealth Parliament Offices in state/territory capital cities
- managing the provision of property services across the country
- conducting pre-check print vetting
- processing office expenses claims.
HR services for MOP(S) Act employees
The following HR services are provided for MOP(S) Act employees:
- payroll and associated services
- HR policy
- advice on the employment framework and general employment matters
- work health and safety including early intervention, compensable and non-compensable claims and workplace rehabilitation services
- developing and delivering the MOP(S) Act employment framework, in consultation with other relevant agencies and MOP(S) Act employees
- delivery of the Professional Development Program to MOP(S) Act employees
COMCAR
COMCAR provides high quality, secure and confidential car-with-driver services to a range of eligible clients across Australia including:
- the Governor-General
- the Prime Minister
- Federal Parliamentarians
- Federal Judiciary
- heads of Commonwealth Agencies.
COMCAR also supports the Guests of Australian Government Visits program and major events such as the Commonwealth Games, Group of Twenty (G20) meetings, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) and other Ministerial forums hosted in Australia.
Policy advice and administration
MaPS provides policy advice to the Government, through our Minister, and other stakeholders in relation to the non-travel expenses under the PBR Act and the MOP(S) Act.
Our role extends to policy development and assisting parliamentarians and MOP(S) Act employees to understand their obligations in relation to parliamentarians’ work expenses and the employment framework of their staff.
MaPS also provides secretariat support for the Australian Political Exchange Council, which provides an international exchange program for young political leaders.
The Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) was established on 1 July 2017. IPEA administers the travel related work expenses of parliamentarians and their employees.