7. Meaning of public duties
"Public duties” is defined in section 3 of the PSAS Act to have the same meaning as it has in section 2(1) of the Members of Parliament (Standards) Act 1978 (Vic).
In the Members of Parliament (Standards) Act 1978 (Vic), public duties are defined to include committee business, electorate business and parliamentary business. Those three types of business are not further defined in the Act.
This guideline provides further detail about those three types of business.
7.1 Committee business means:
7.1.a attendance at a meeting of a committee of which the person is a member;
7.1.b attendance at other functions or activities (including to take evidence) which arise as a consequence of the person carrying out responsibilities and duties of a committee of which the person is a member.
7.2 Electorate business means, in the Member’s capacity as their constituent’s elected representative:
7.2.a any of the following activities relating to matters of importance or interest to constituents (including matters that do not relate exclusively to constituents, such as matters of state importance):
7.2.a.i providing advice or information to constituents;
7.2.a.ii attending a meeting with constituents;
7.2.a.iii undertaking research;
7.2.b representing the views and interests of constituents;
7.2.c participation in official and community activities to which the Member is invited;
7.2.d providing constituent assistance and service.
7.3 Parliamentary business means:
7.3.a attendances occasioned by sittings of the Member’s House of Parliament (including regional sittings);
7.3.b attendances at parliamentary party meetings on a sitting day;
7.3.c attendances at a State Reception for which a formal invitation is issued by the branch of the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet responsible for managing official government functions (official government functions);
7.3.d attendances at a function for which a formal invitation is issued by a Presiding Officer, or jointly by the Presiding Officers of the Parliament (parliamentary functions);
7.3.e attendances at a function for which a formal invitation is issued by or on behalf of the Governor of Victoria (Vice-Regal functions);
7.3.f if the MP is an office holder, attendances that are occasioned by official business resulting from the office held;
Note: The list of office holders is set out in Schedule 1 below.
7.3.g developing or reviewing legislation or proposed legislation;
7.3.h undertaking research, attending meetings, or carrying out administrative activities connected with the business of the Parliament;
7.3.i representing the Parliament, in accordance with an approval of the House of the Parliament, and engaging in associated activities for that purpose.
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