New Parliamentary Business and MOPS Employee Determinations

Date published
11 March 2025
Key Points ‘Parliamentary business’ activities have been updated to clarify and provide transparency on existing practices and arrangements. Parliamentarians and office-holders may direct their staff to assist, support and facilitate them to conduct their parliamentary business and other duties. Obligations on parliamentarians in conducting their parliamentary business are unchanged under the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017

The Special Minister of State has authorised three new determinations, respectively, under the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 (PBR Act) and the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MOP(S) Act), that took effect on 20 February 2025, as follows:

Together, these determinations provide greater clarity and transparency to all parliamentarians and their staff around employment arrangements and activities that are considered ‘parliamentary business’. 

The Special Minister of State has also issued Ministerial Circular (2025/01): ‘Parliamentary Business’ changes for parliamentarians and how they may direct their staff with a new checklist and two new factsheets:

The Australian Public Service Commission has now published Guidance on applicable codes, standards and disciplinary frameworks for APS employees working in a parliamentarian’s office. 

General information on what these changes mean for all parliamentarians and their staff in a federal election context is available here: Federal, State, Territory or Local Elections. 

Further information on ‘parliamentary business’ and the dominant purpose test under the PBR Act framework can be found at Parliamentary business (dominant purpose test).