Speaker to welcome newly-elected MPs to Parliament   22 Sep 2014

22 September 2014

Speaker to welcome newly-elected MPs to Parliament

Parliament’s current Speaker Rt Hon David Carter is looking forward to officially welcoming the 29 newly-elected MPs to Parliament tomorrow.

The new MPs are already beginning to arrive at Parliament to attend a two week induction programme organised by the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service.

On Tuesday, they will attend a mihi and be officially welcomed by the Speaker, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mary Harris, and the General Manger of the Parliamentary Service, David Stevenson.

Mr Carter says the induction programme is designed to get the new members up and running as quickly as possible.

“The Class of 2014 are going to be receiving training in many areas including staffing, security, managing their support budgets, and how to be an effective member of the House and select committees,” Mr Carter says.

The induction programme involves a mix of presentations, hearing from experienced MPs, role plays and written and multi-media resources.

Returning members are invited to attend the induction sessions as a refresher.

Information Booths set up in Parliament’s Grand Hall also allow members to learn more about the facilities and agencies that support members, and meet parliamentary staff they will be dealing with on a daily basis. This will be complemented by sessions that prepare the new MPs for the opening of Parliament, the first sittings of the House and select committees, and setting up their member of Parliament offices.

“Being elected a member of Parliament is an overwhelming experience. It’s a steep learning curve and we want to make it as easy as possible for new members to learn the ropes,” Mr Carter says.

There will be ongoing assistance and professional development offered to members which will include following up with them to evaluate the initial induction provided and to identify their ongoing training needs.

ENDS

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