Staff and Spectators - House of Representatives 1854-2004
The visitor centre (panorama)
Sound Clip: The Clerk of the House
Sergeant-at-Arms, Edward Mayne
The 'Black Rod'
Debating chamber galleries (panorama)
Sound Clip: 'In the Ladies Gallery'
The press gallery
Film Clip: Hansard reporters at work
Sound Clip: 'The Gallery Boys'
Sound Clip: 'Breach of Privilege'
Sound Clip: Radio Broadcasting
Trial televising of the House
Staff and spectators
Parliament buzzes with activity. Action on the floor of the debating chamber attracts onlookers who enjoy the spectacle of watching the House go about its business. Reporting those events within Parliament, and to the outside world - either in the newspaper, on radio or television - requires a team of people.
Attending to the needs of MPs, running the buildings and grounds, and conducting the official ceremonies demands a small army of staff with specialist skills. Advising on the difficult constitutional aspects of Parliament requires procedural specialists in the Office of the Clerk.
Parliament's Post Office
Parliament had to be able to communicate with people in New Zealand and around the world quickly. From the 1860s it had its own Post Office, as well as a telegraph link. Postal staff and telegraph operators were employed to keep the telegraphs and letters flowing. Parliament also had its own stamp, and any letter posted from Parliament, even today, bears this stamp.
There have been messengers and typists, police officers and cooks, gardeners and nightwatchmen, printers and waiters, shorthand reporters and librarians. There was a time when a job at Parliament was a way to give work to needy and elderly men or war veterans. People remained in these sought-after positions for many years. The Chief Messenger who joined the staff in 1862 stayed for 30 years, and this was not exceptional. Politicians often preferred it this way, for long-serving staff were experienced in the ways of Parliament. For many years women were mainly employed as cleaners.
A parliamentary dynasty
Members of the Bothamley family worked in Parliament for 80 years. It all began in 1871 when Arthur Thomas Bothamley started in the Legislative Council, becoming Clerk-Assistant in 1878. He was Black Rod from 1892 until 1937, the year before he died. His son Grafton Francis worked in the House as a sessional clerk from 1906, and was then employed permanently in 1913; he retired in 1946. His brother, Charles Mildmay, began as a committee clerk in 1917, working his way up the ladder to become the Clerk of Parliaments and of the Legislative Council until its abolition at the end of 1950.
Staff and spectators: The Clerk
Two organisations have provided services to Parliament since the mid 1980s. The Parliamentary Service is responsible for administrative arrangements, including attending to MPs' needs and looking after the buildings, grounds, and facilities. The Office of the Clerk looks after the constitutional functions of Parliament, maintains the parliamentary record and provides services to select committees.
Clerk of the House
The Clerk of the House notes the proceedings of the House, provides procedural advice to the Speaker and MPs, and is responsible for the records of Parliament. There has been a Clerk of the House since 1854. The Legislative Council had its own Clerk, who by tradition, held the title of the Clerk of Parliaments. But with the bulk of Parliament's work in the House of Representatives, it has been the Clerk of the House that has been the more important position through Parliament's history.
Like many other aspects of New Zealand's Parliament, the position of the Clerk was inherited from the British Westminster system. Today the term 'clerk' may suggest a junior administrative position, but that is not the case in parliamentary tradition. The Clerk has a very senior and significant role, symbolised by the actual sitting position in the chamber, just below the Speaker's chair at the head of the Table. From here, the Clerk can advise on procedure and weighty constitutional and legal matters. Since the 1930s, legal expertise has been a necessary part of the job, and all Clerks from then ― bar one short-term Clerk ― had a legal qualification. In the early years of the House, the Clerk was expected to dress very formally; for one early Clerk, a black suit and scarlet stockings were part of the outfit. With the legal credentials required from the 1930s, the formal dress moved to the wig and gown of barristers, and the Clerk wears these when present in the House and on official occasions such as the opening of Parliament.
Long-serving Clerks
Most of New Zealand's Clerks of the House were in the job for many years. In fact, there have only been 12 Clerks since 1854, and two of these held the job for a combined period of 52 years. Only two Clerks have been short-lived. James Coates, the first Clerk of the House, was only in the role for about a month before he died; Grafton Francis Bothamley was Clerk in 1945-6.
Several long-serving Clerks steered Parliament through important changes. Francis Campbell (1823-1911), who succeeded Coates in July 1854, held the post for a record 35 years, and he was the mainstay of Parliament in its formative decades. In 1868 he became Clerk of Parliaments. Thomas Donald Horn Hall (1885-1970), known as 'T.D.H.', was the first of the legally qualified Clerks and held the position from 1930. He reorganised the Legislative Department and retired in 1945. David McGee was appointed as Clerk of the House in 1985, the year he published his standard reference work, Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand. He dealt with major reforms to parliamentary procedure in the 1990s, as well as managing the changes associated with MMP. McGee is regarded as a leading parliamentary Clerk in the Commonwealth.
The Legislative Department
A wide range of other positions supported the Clerk. By the 1860s there was a Clerk-Assistant and a Second Clerk-Assistant, followed later by a Reader (who checked over all bills passed), an Examiner of Standing Orders on Private Bills, a record clerk, a clerk of works for the buildings, not to mention a host of temporary or 'sessional' clerks brought in for each session.
Between 1912 and 1985, these and other positions in Parliament were brought together into the Legislative Department, reporting to a minister in cabinet. Running this Department was a big job for the Clerk of the House who had overall charge of the library (except for between 1966 and 1985), Bellamy's and Hansard as well as all the various clerks, messengers, orderlies, cleaners, and temporary sessional staff ― in fact, most of those who worked behind the scenes and in ceremonial duties.
Over the years, MPs raised concerns over the number of parliamentary staff and the cost of running the place, especially during times of economic depression, such as the 1880s, 1920s and 1930s. But from the early twentieth century the Department grew as demands for its services increased. By the 1980s, it had become clear that the Department was too unwieldy to continue as it was, especially without any legal definition of its functions. In 1985, its constitutional and administrative functions were separated, with the Office of the Clerk focusing on the former.
Staff and spectators: Ceremonial positions
New Zealand's early politicians wanted Parliament to adopt and adapt the traditions of the British Parliament. In doing this, it was believed that New Zealand's Parliament would be invested with great dignity. Accordingly, a number of the ceremonial positions that are to be found in the British Parliament also appear in New Zealand.
Serjeant-at-Arms
The Serjeant-at-Arms (or Sergeant-at-Arms, until the 1950s) carries the mace or the symbol of the Speaker's authority, for the official opening of Parliament, and also at the opening of every sitting when she or he leads the Speaker into the House and announces the Speaker's presence.
The Serjeant initially carried a white 'wand' instead of a mace, and wore a black suit with white gloves and a white waistcoat. The first Sergeant was Philip Deck, a former sea captain, who was appointed in 1854, although not in time for the inaugural sitting of Parliament in May that year.
The tradition of the Serjeant dates back many centuries to when 'Sergeants-at-Arms' were bodyguards to the King or Queen. The mace, carried by the Serjeant, is a stylised version of a large weapon shaped like a club. Traces of the bodyguard function can still be seen today. The Serjeant may be required to escort unruly MPs ― and in the early days, some drunk ones ― out of the House. On these rare occasions the role becomes more than symbolic and moves to one of enforcing the Speaker's authority.
There have been other tasks, too. In the nineteenth century, the Sergeant made sure that the House's snuff box was filled, for MPs were not allowed to smoke in the chamber. In 1877, the Sergeant placed George Jones, a newspaper reporter ― and future MP ― under a mild form of 'House arrest' after he was called to the bar of the House following accusations in his paper about one MP. The 'arrest' consisted of being held in a room, where he was liberally supplied with refreshments and cheroots (a type of cigar) and allowed to play his violin, while the House debated what action to take against him.
Lock the Doors!
Just a week or so after he took up his duties in August 1854, Sergeant-at Arms Deck had to assert his position during an unruly debate. Opposition members who did not want to vote on an issue tried to flee the House in order to remove the quorum of members necessary for a vote to be taken. Someone shouted 'Lock the doors!', which Deck did, thinking that the Speaker had given him an order. As MPs chased each other around the House, clambered into the public gallery and shouted about a quorum, the Sergeant threatened to take them into custody.
The Mace
The ultimate symbol of Parliament's authority is the mace. Today's mace, obtained in 1909, is modelled on the one used in the House of Commons. It is about 1.3 metres long, is made of sterling silver gilt with 18-carat gold, and is decorated with fleur de lys, and roses, harps and thistles that symbolise the union of the British peoples. The Southern Cross and 'N.Z.' are engraved on a panel. The mace is kept in the Speaker's office when not in use; when the House is sitting, it is on the Table of the chamber, and under the Table when the House is in Committee.
New Zealand's Parliament got its first mace in 1866 - 12 years after the first sitting. This did not stop the compilers of Parliament's records from writing it into the records from 1855 as if it did exist. This mace was a gift from a retired Speaker, Charles Clifford, because the Premier was reluctant to go to the expense of purchasing one. It was destroyed by fire in 1907, and for two years, Parliament made do with a temporary mace made of polished puriri wood with gilt decorations.
Black Rod
The Legislative Council had its equivalent of the Sergeant-at-Arms, known as the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, or Black Rod for short. The rod itself was initially just a plain black wooden staff, a little like a billiard cue, but that used since 1931 is more ornate. Arthur Bothamley became the first Black Rod in 1914, although he had been acting in this role since 1892. Black Rod became a ceremonial position once the Legislative Council was abolished at the end of 1950, and today, Black Rod plays an important part in the official opening of Parliament. In 1993, Bill Nathan became the first Maori Black Rod.
Staff and spectators: Watching Parliament
The public has always had the right to watch Parliament go about its business. But where the public has sat, how they should behave ― and who formed the public ― have been debated over time. For many years, the public seating area or gallery was called the strangers' gallery. Neither elected representatives nor officials, members of the public were visitors or strangers to the House, there on sufferance and liable to be removed if MPs wished it. From the 1870s, the public gallery has been a purpose-built area partially ringing the chamber upstairs from which people can see down onto the floor of the House.
When Parliament met in Auckland, women and men sat together in a specially marked off area of the chamber, but in 1864, a separate ladies' gallery was created. Once Parliament moved to Wellington in 1865, a ladies' gallery became an accepted thing, and women and men sat in separate areas until 1945. There was also a Speaker's gallery, where people invited by the Speaker would sit; women had their separate Speaker's gallery until 1972.
Entry to the ladies' and Speaker's galleries was by ticket only ― the rest of the public gallery was first-come, first-served ― and tickets were highly prized, especially if the House promised to be full of action and excitement. All the galleries, but especially the ladies', were an important part of Wellington's social scene.
Staff and spectators: Reporting Parliament
Whether it has been Hansard ― the official record of parliamentary debates ― or newspaper reports of parliamentary activities and government decisions, the reporting of Parliament has been an important part of the parliamentary story.
Hansard
When New Zealand established a Hansard service in 1867, it was one of the world's first independent and official records of parliamentary debates. Today, Hansard is recorded first on digital audiotape, but for most of its history, Hansard reporters had to be top-of-the-line shorthand reporters reaching speeds of 180 words and more a minute ― without mistakes. They had to understand political affairs and parliamentary procedures, and in the days when MPs peppered their speeches with Latin quotations and literary allusions, the Hansard reporters had to know what these meant.
Did you know?
That Hansard takes its name from Thomas Hansard, whose family firm printed the debates in the British Parliament for over 60 years from the early nineteenth century? New Zealand is not the only country to call its official debates by this name; so too, does Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Zimbabwe.
Before 1867, politicians and public alike relied on newspapers to get reports of what had gone on in the House. Perhaps because they didn't want to pay newspapers for this, MPs found their speeches misquoted and votes recorded incorrectly, and some newspapers refused to record proceedings in depth. Newspaper editor C.C.N Barron offered to manage a parliamentary staff of reporters for a trial period which proved so successful that he continued as Chief Hansard Reporter for the next 29 years.
The Hansard staff was all male for many years. Women were thought to be unsuited ― physically and temperamentally ― to the work and long hours. The first two women were appointed in 1962, and since then women have come to dominate the staff; the last male reporter retired in 1979.
The Press Gallery
From the very first days, New Zealand's press had full access to Parliament, unlike their British counterparts. MPs needed journalists desperately, because there was no one else to record what went on in the chamber, even if these records could be full of mistakes. Some of them were full of bias, too, because several early MPs owned newspapers, and doctored reports of the day's proceedings. By the 1870s, the press gallery was a more or less independent group, reporting on debates and parliamentary life, and running cartoons and satire about politics and MPs. The place was an important training ground for some of the country's top journalists.
The relationship between press and politicians has always been an awkward one. MPs have not always liked how they have been reported, and have not enjoyed being ignored. In the 1890s Premier Richard Seddon tried to force the Evening Post to name its source of information for a story critical of him. When the journalist refused, Seddon attempted to have him banned from Parliament. Other MPs were only too keen to pass on information to journalists, even if it led to problems. In 1901 Parliament fined the senior pressman in the gallery £15 for publishing select committee information early. In 1929, actions like this were formally made breaches of privilege under standing orders.
As question time and competition for stories between newspapers heated up in the 1970s, sensationalist themes appeared more frequently in news reports. The government and politics, rather than actions in the House, became the focus. The gallery itself was crowded, with 50 or 60 accredited journalists and more demanding entry. Some politicians interfered in the gallery ― in 1984 the government tried to make the journalists pay rent for their office space in Parliament House. Now, the media is more usually regarded as an important and useful resource, and parties and ministers have their own press staff.
The Men's Club
Women have been reporting on Parliament since the 1880s, but it was not until 1965 that the first woman, Fran Collett, was appointed to the press gallery ― and she had to agree to keep out of the bar, the source of some of the best political stories. Early on, women reported instead from the ladies' gallery, but they still managed to send their stories to some major papers. Women's success in gaining the vote in 1893 made them more interested in politics, and the number of women reporters grew in the 1890s. Forrest Ross wrote as 'Pamela' and her reports appeared in the Press as 'Peeps at Parliament'. Stella Henderson, a law graduate, was another early woman reporter in the House. She had to write her articles from the ladies' tearoom after the press gallery refused to allow her paper, the Lyttelton Times, to give her its press gallery seat.
Staff and spectators: Broadcasting Parliament
On 25 March 1936 a housewife in Auckland could turn on her radio and listen to Parliament. It was the start of the first regular parliamentary broadcast in the world. This major step in taking Parliament to the people was one way, the new Labour government felt, of getting New Zealanders to take a lively interest in national affairs. That, and a suspicion that the major newspapers were biased against the government. For this reason, the government kept a tight control of which debates could be transmitted, and who could speak, during the first year of broadcasting.
Broadcasting has continued ever since, with some ups and downs. The broadcasts revealed the characteristic commotion of the House. Every remark and whisper, cough, sneeze and rustle of paper could be heard. The continuity announcer had to try to cut out all the unwanted or embarrassing conversations accidentally picked up by the microphones, and fill in the sudden silences and gaps in the debates. Some MPs played to the airwaves as they realised that their constituents were listening, and the evening speaking slots from 7.30 to 9 p.m. were the most prized.
Once television began beaming into New Zealand homes in the evenings from 1960, the popularity of the evening parliamentary broadcast fell away. Those MPs who wanted to make sure their constituents still heard them focused their energies on the afternoon sessions. One Waikato MP would interject frequently during speeches until the Speaker referred to him, after which he would head out for a pre-dinner drink, secure in the knowledge that his constituents in the milking sheds back home knew their MP was on the job down.
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