Orders in Council Database

Under the authority of sections 5 and 6 of the Parliamentary Secretaries Act, the Lieutenant Governor in Council is pleased to implement the following guidelines pertaining to the functions, responsibilities and salary of Parliamentary Secretaries:

1)  House of Assembly

  i) In the absence of the Minister, a Parliamentary Secretary may make announcements and statements in the House of Assembly, on behalf of the Minister, relating to the relevant activities, plans and policies of the relevant government department.

 ii)  In the absence of the Minister, a Parliamentary Secretary may respond on behalf of the Minister to questions posed to the Minister in the House of Assembly.

2) Cabinet Committees

  i) A Minister may invite his or her Parliamentary Secretary to attend meetings of Policy Committees of Cabinet, as deemed necessary by the Minister, when there is a Cabinet submission of that Minister on the agenda, and only for the portion of the meeting in which the Submission is under discussion.

3)  Cabinet

  i)  A Parliamentary Secretary will have no privileges to attend either Cabinet or a Special Committee of Cabinet.

  4)  Access to Confidential Information

   i) In recognition of the privileged position occupied by a  Parliamentary Secretary and the access which he or she may have to confidential information relating to the plans and priorities of their assigned Department and Cabinet Submissions of that Department, a person appointed as Parliamentary Secretary is expected to maintain the same standards of confidentiality as a Minister of the Crown, and will be required to swear or otherwise affirm an appropriate Oath of Office.

 ii)  The provisions of the Conflict of Interest (Ministers) Guidelines laid out in the House of Assembly Act Part II are applicable to Parliamentary Secretaries as are the Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Ministers approved in Minute of Council 98-0022 on file with the Clerk of the Executive Council.

  iii) The blind trust guidelines respecting Ministers established pursuant to MC 98-0206 are also applicable to Parliamentary Secretaries, namely:

 a) A Parliamentary Secretary directly pays the costs associated with establishing and maintaining the blind trust;

b) A Parliamentary Secretary submits paid invoices to the Commissioner for Members Interests for verification and approval; and,

c) Subject to approval of the Commissioner, the invoice shall be submitted to the Parliamentary Secretary’s department for reimbursement to the Parliamentary Secretary.

5) Travel and Secretarial Assistance

  i) A Parliamentary Secretary is entitled to be compensated at the rates applicable to Ministers for travel expenses and entertainment.

  ii) A Parliamentary Secretary will use the secretarial assistant assigned to him or her as a Member of the House of Assembly in fulfilling the role of Parliamentary Secretary.

6) Government Department

  i) A Parliamentary Secretary may act as an alternate for the Minister in representing a department at public meetings or in receiving dignitaries or delegations but may not make any commitments on behalf of Government.

 ii) At the discretion of the Minister, a Parliamentary Secretary may take direct part in the administration or program delivery of a department but may not create legal obligations, exercise legal authority or commit to expenditure of public funds.

7) Salary

  i) A Parliamentary Secretary shall be paid an annual salary at the rate of one half of the Ministerial salary. 

OC2000-622 is hereby replaced.