Office of the Clerk

The Clerk is the Chief permanent officer of the House responsible for ensuring, among other things, that the expressed will of the Speaker and the Standing Committee on Legislative Management are implemented, that the support services for Members in the performance of their legislative responsibilities are available, that the records of the House are maintained and that the Speaker and Members of the House are provided with independent procedural, operational and administrative advice on the proceedings of the House.

Pursuant to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, the Clerk is;

• be responsible for the safekeeping of the records and documents of the House;
• have direction over the Clerk Assistant, Sergeant-at-Arms, committee clerks, doorkeepers, messengers, pages, and secretarial staff as may be employed in connection with the House, and is responsible for the safekeeping of the furnishings and fittings of the House;
• be present at the Table in the Legislative Chamber during sittings of the House;
• prepare and cause to be distributed the Daily Journal and the Order Paper;
• cause a copy of the Journal for the preceding day and a copy of the Order Paper for the day to be placed each morning on the Speaker's table and on each Member's desk;
• cause a copy of the Journal for the preceding day to be delivered to the office of the Lieutenant-Governor each day;
• when the Standing Committees have been appointed, cause a list thereof to be printed and posted in a conspicuous place in the House;
• at the conclusion of each session, cause the Journal to be indexed, published, and bound;
• perform such other duties as are assigned by the Speaker; and
• assure that a true copy of each Bill, as reported from Committee of the Whole House, is available for third reading;
• receive command documents during times when the House is not in session and cause same to be distributed to all Members of the House.

One widely held misconception is that the Office is a branch of government and that its employees are government employees. Such is not the case. In the Westminster Model of parliamentary democracy (to which PEI and all other Canadian jurisdictions adhere), the "government" is the Executive Branch (responsible for applying and enforcing laws and for the administration of Government), the Legislative Branch is responsible for establishing these laws, for the granting of supply (or money) to Government so that the Executive may carry on its programs and policies and is a forum in which Government is held publicly accountable for the decisions it takes. Further, the Office of the Clerk provides various types of support to the entire Assembly, including services to Government Members, Private Members and Members of Opposition parties alike.