Everything about Parliamentary Secretary totally explained
A
Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a
Parliament in the
Westminster system who assists a more senior
minister with their duties.
In the parliamentary systems of several
Commonwealth countries, such as the
United Kingdom,
Canada and
Australia, it's customary for the
prime minister to appoint parliamentary secretaries (in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario, "parliamentary assistants") from their
political party in
parliament to assist
cabinet ministers with their work. The role of parliamentary secretaries has varied under different prime ministers. Originally, the post was used as a training ground for future ministers.
United Kingdom
In the
United Kingdom, Parliamentary Secretary (in full, usually
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in those departments headed by a Secretary of State) is the third level of government
minister, below
Minister of State and
Secretary of State (or another minister of Secretary of State rank, such as the
Chancellor of the Exchequer). Not all departments have all three levels of minister.
A
Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), on the other hand, is a Member of Parliament who acts as an unpaid assistant to an individual minister, but has no ministerial role, although they're expected to support the government at all times.
Canada
During
Jean Chrétien's term as
Prime Minister of Canada, parliamentary secretaries were set to two-year terms and the post was used as a reward for weary
backbenchers. Their duty was to answer questions and table reports on behalf of ministers when they were unable to be present in the house.
Chrétien's successor as Canadian Prime Minister,
Paul Martin, when sworn-in
2003, promised a new role for parliamentary secretaries. They would now be sworn into the
privy council giving them access to some secret documents, be allowed to attend
Canadian Cabinet meetings and be assigned specific files by ministers. This replaced the positions of
Secretaries of State which had been in practice under Chrétien.
Republic of Ireland
In the
Irish Free State, the
Ministers and Secretaries Act of 1924 created the post of Parliamentary Secretary, originally limited to seven holders. In 1978, the office was superseded in the
Republic of Ireland by the office of
Minister of State.
See also:
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education
Further Information
Get more info on 'Parliamentary Secretary'.
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