This week the New Zealand Parliament is hosting the inaugural regional Parliamentary Human Resources Forum for officials from Australian and Pacific parliaments. The forum is jointly convened by the New Zealand Parliamentary Service and Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

“A Parliament’s effectiveness relies on the quality of the people, leadership, and culture within the agencies that support them. While each of our legislatures are unique, we all share common characteristics and challenges that other organisations do not,” said Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, Chief Executive of the Parliamentary Service.

Clerk of the House of Representatives, David Wilson added that “inter-parliamentary forums are a great way of sharing ideas between parliamentary agencies. This forum will be the first time that human resources colleagues from across the Australia and Pacific region have come together.”

More than 40 delegates will take part in sessions on topics including services to members of Parliament and parliamentary staff; parliamentary culture; building diverse workforces; on-boarding and development; and supporting new ways of working. The forum features presentations from employment, law, diversity, and state sector system specialists. The forum will culminate in the development of terms of reference for the regional parliamentary human resources network.

Delegates will also take part in a roundtable discussion with Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand. “Parliaments and museums both have responsibilities to protect shared heritage and promote public engagement. This is a great opportunity to share initiatives to build future-focused workforces that better serve our communities” noted Mr Gonzalez-Montero.

Parliaments represented at the forum include: Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, Republic of Fiji, Kiribati, New South Wales, New Zealand, Northern Territory, Queensland, Solomon Islands, South Australia, Tasmania, Kingdom of Tonga, Victoria, and Western Australia.

The forum will run from 2 to 4 February 2020 at Parliament Buildings in Wellington.

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