Legislative Assembly departments and staff provide professional non-partisan services to support the democratic institution of Parliament and its Members through procedural advice, administrative support, and information services.
Each department has their own internal page on the Dome intranet that contains detailed information and updates about services.
As the Legislative Assembly’s most senior official, the Speaker serves as the impartial presiding officer. The provincial Constitution Act provides for the election of the Speaker, and describes certain other duties and roles of the position.
The Speaker fulfils procedural and administrative responsibilities related to the Legislative Assembly. In the Legislative Assembly, the Speaker presides over debates, maintains order, and ensures that Members abide by the Standing Orders which govern conduct and procedures in the House. The Speaker chairs the Legislative Assembly Management Committee, the statutory all-party committee that reviews and approves operating policy for the Legislative Assembly and governs the Assembly’s financial affairs, including the review and approval of Vote 1.
As the head of the legislative branch of government, the Speaker also represents the Legislative Assembly in all relations with external organizations and individuals, and serves as the President of the British Columbia Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Office of the Speaker coordinates protocol duties required of the Speaker and/or Members for visiting delegations, official visitors and consular representatives from other jurisdictions, and provides support to the Speaker in the fulfillment of these duties. The Office also assists Members with a wide range of issues and concerns.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-387-3952
officeofthespeaker@leg.bc.ca
The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly is the chief permanent officer of the Legislative Assembly who reports to the Speaker and the Legislative Assembly Management Committee. The Clerk provides non-partisan procedural advice to the Speaker and all Members of the House and may be consulted at any time regarding procedural and House matters. The Clerk also administers the Oath of Allegiance to duly elected Members and presides over the election of the Speaker.
The Office of the Clerk maintains the records of all parliamentary proceedings and oversees the preparation of the Orders of the Day and Votes and Proceedings as well as the Journals of the Legislative Assembly, which is the official record of proceedings and decisions. The Office also assists with protocol arrangements for legislative functions and ceremonies, and parliamentary visits.
The Clerk is responsible for management and administrative services within the Assembly and serves as Clerk to the Legislative Assembly Management Committee (LAMC). In this capacity, the Office of the Clerk is responsible for arranging LAMC meetings, preparing and distributing agendas and supporting materials, and preparing and distributing minutes and responding to inquiries by the Committee and others.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-387-3785
officeoftheclerk@leg.bc.ca
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
kate.ryan-lloyd@leg.bc.ca
The Clerk is supported by the Clerk’s Leadership Group (the executive team), which consists of the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Chief Information Officer, the Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services, the Executive Financial Officer, and the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.
Chief Human Resources Officer
The Chief Human Resources Officer serves as a key strategic advisor within the Legislative Assembly Administration and as the senior human resources leader, providing innovating and strategic human resources support to Legislative Assembly management and staff. The Chief Human Resources Officer also oversees outsourced human resources services and training to Members of the Legislative Assembly in support of the operations of constituency offices, caucuses, and legislative offices.
Contact Information
Daisy Jassar, Chief Human Resources Officer
daisy.jassar@leg.bc.ca
Chief Information Officer
The Chief Information Officer provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology and information management solutions and initiatives that manage the Legislative Assembly’s digital information infrastructure, governance, and assets that support the Assembly’s ability to achieve its goals. The Chief Information Officer oversees the Digital Information Office, the Information Technology Department, Hansard Services, and the Legislative Library.
Contact Information
Andrew Spence, Chief Information Officer
andrew.spence@leg.bc.ca
Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services
The Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services is responsible for overseeing the provision of core parliamentary services and procedural supports to Members of the Legislative Assembly. The Clerk Assistant oversees the Parliamentary Committees Office, the Parliamentary Education Office, and key functions within the Office of the Clerk, including House documents, the Legislative Assembly’s policy suite, and transition and orientation supports for Members. The Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services also serves as a senior Table Officer.
Contact Information
Artour Sogomonian, Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services
artour.sogomonian@leg.bc.ca
Executive Financial Officer
The Executive Financial Officer provides strategic leadership and operational support services of the Legislative Assembly’s financial operations, capital operations, facilities management, procurement, asset management, enterprise risk management, and business continuity planning. The Executive Financial Officer also provides financial and administrative supports to the Legislative Assembly Management Committee, including its Subcommittee on Finance and Audit, and Subcommittee on Administration and Operations. The Executive Financial Officer oversees departmental operations for Financial Services and Precinct Services.
Contact Information
Kathy Humphrey, Executive Financial Officer
kathy.humphrey@leg.bc.ca
Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel
The Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel is responsible for providing legal and procedural advice and services to the Speaker and other Presiding Officers, Members, parliamentary committees, the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Assembly departments. The Law Clerk is also a senior Table Officer.
Contact Information
S. Suzie Seo, Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel
suzie.seo@leg.bc.ca
The Digital Information Office is responsible for the Assembly’s digital information strategy, optimizing strategic management, and the use of Assembly’s information assets. This includes overseeing an information governance program and supporting Assembly departments in the development and delivery of information products and services as well as records and information management systems.
Contact Information
Christine Fedoruk, Director, Digital Information Strategy and Governance
christine.fedoruk@leg.bc.ca
Financial Services is responsible for providing financial management and administrative support to the Members of the Legislative Assembly, Assembly departments, caucuses, and constituency offices. Financial Services processes Members’ travel claims, administers and pays Members’ allowances, and processes and pays invoices and other expenses. Financial Services also performs full-service accounting for the Assembly and constituency offices, communicates and advises on financial policies and procedures, and prepares internal and external financial reporting, including the quarterly public disclosure of Member’s compensation and travel and constituency office expenses.
Financial Services supports constituency offices and their staff with respect to office leases and office insurance. The Branch also assesses and provides guidance on controls and processes, and manages the Assembly’s budget preparation.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-356-8586
financialservices@leg.bc.ca
Michael Burke, Director, Financial Services
michael.burke@leg.bc.ca
Hansard Services publishes official reports and broadcasts of Legislative Assembly and parliamentary committee proceedings, including providing live television coverage and webcast services for all proceedings, and producing comprehensive, easily accessible indexes to all published Hansard materials.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-387-3681
hansardservices@leg.bc.ca
D’Arcy McPherson, Director, Hansard Services
darcy.mcpherson@leg.bc.ca
Marionne Cronin, Manager, Reporting Services
marionne.cronin@leg.bc.ca
Andrew Henry, Manager, Broadcasting Services
andrew.henry@leg.bc.ca
Dan Kerr, Manager, Publishing Systems
dan.kerr@leg.bc.ca
The Human Resource Operations department is responsible for human resource advisory services, recruitment and staffing, and employee safety, health and wellness. The department also administers payroll and benefits services, including providing payroll related services and advice to Members, their constituency staff, caucus staff, and Assembly staff as well as processing, monitoring, and reporting of the Legislative Assembly’s payroll, leave, benefits, and pension transactions in compliance with all laws and legislation.
Contact Information
General Inquiries - Payroll
250-387-5532
payrolloffice@leg.bc.ca
Kelli Van Leeuwen, Director, Human Resource Operations
kelli.vanleeuwen@leg.bc.ca
Klaudia Fetcas, Manager, Payroll Services
klaudia.fetcas@leg.bc.ca
The Information Technology Department (ITD) is responsible for providing technology and support services to Members, their legislative and constituency offices, and Assembly staff. This includes supports for computer and hardware, network, wireless, voice, and data communications matters. Members and staff with specific technology-related projects can also contact ITD for assistance if required. It also includes projects such as identifying and installing software and hardware.
ITD Service Desk
Staff from the ITD Service Desk are available to assist with problems related to computer hardware and software as well as network issues. The Service Desk can be contacted by phone or email and ITD staff have tools available to remotely access computers to speed the resolution of problems. On-site assistance is available 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and until adjournment on sitting days.
Contact Information
ITD Service Desk
778-401-6323
servicedesk@leg.bc.ca
Brent Lee, Director, Information Technology
brent.lee@leg.bc.ca
The Legislative Library provides confidential, non-partisan information and research services to Members and their staff, including Constituency Assistants. Every year, librarians answer thousands of questions from Members and their caucus, and constituency staff about legislation, government programs, current events, policy issues, local history, demographics, financial information, and more. Reference librarians are trained professionals who provide fast, confidential, and authoritative information on any topic. The Legislative Library also provides archival records storage services.
The Library is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, or until adjournment. Requests for Library services can be made in person or by contacting the Library Reference Desk at 250-387-6510 or llbc.ref@leg.bc.ca.
Contact Information
Library Reference Desk
250-387-6510
llbc.ref@leg.bc.ca
Peter Gourlay, Director, Legislative Library
peter.gourlay@leg.bc.ca
Erika Luebbe, Manager, Reference Services
erika.luebbe@leg.bc.ca
Charles Hogg, Manager, Technical Services and Systems
charles.hogg@leg.bc.ca
The Parliamentary Committees Office provides non-partisan procedural advice and research services, and administrative and operational support to parliamentary committees appointed by the Legislative Assembly. The Office also provides procedural, operational, communications and research services to the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, the Speaker, other Presiding Officers and Members of the Legislative Assembly.
Each parliamentary committee is assigned a Clerk who is the committee’s principal coordinator and adviser regarding parliamentary procedure, committee operations, and public consultation practices. Each parliamentary committee is assisted by research staff who prepare any necessary backgrounders, briefing notes, and summaries of evidence for inquiries, as well as administrative staff who facilitate committee operations and logistics such as meeting bookings and travel arrangements.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-356-2933
clerkcomm@leg.bc.ca
Jennifer Arril, Clerk of Committees
jennifer.arril@leg.bc.ca
Karan Riarh, Committee Clerk
karan.riarh@leg.bc.ca
The Parliamentary Education Office provides Members, constituency offices, students, educators and the public with parliamentary education and outreach services and resources. The Office manages the public tours program and education programs, and operates the Parliamentary Gift Shop located near the main exit of the Parliament Buildings.
The Office also manages the B.C. Legislative Internship Program, the B.C. Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy, and special one-day events for visiting post-secondary classes. Members may be invited to present and participate in these educational programs. The Office also informs Members when their constituents are selected to participate in the B.C. Legislative Internship Program and the B.C. Teachers’ Institute on Parliamentary Democracy.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-387-8669
PEO@leg.bc.ca
Karen Aitken, Director, Parliamentary Education Office
karen.aitken@leg.bc.ca
Parliamentary Tours
250-387-9243
tours@leg.bc.ca
Educational Resource Orders
250-356-8295
giftshop@leg.bc.ca
Precinct Services consolidates Capital Planning and Development, Legislative Facility Services, and the Parliamentary Dining Room, supporting a centralized approach to coordinating these areas.
Capital Planning and Development
Capital Planning and Development oversees the planning and execution of capital facility projects in support of the Legislative Assembly’s long-term capital plan and related planning and work. The department also provides oversight, training and support to Assembly departments in procurement, contract management and business continuity.
Contact Information
Randy Spraggett, Manager, Capital Planning and Development
randy.spraggett@leg.bc.ca
Legislative Facility Services
Legislative Facility Services is responsible for property management, including all building and grounds maintenance, repairs, improvements, and cleaning duties. Facility Services also assist building occupants with a wide range of services, such as office moves and maintenance.
Contact Information
Surjit Dhanota, Legislative Facility Manager
surjit.dhanota@leg.bc.ca
Parliamentary Dining Room
The Parliamentary Dining Room services Members, staff and the public. It is open weekdays for breakfast and lunch; on sitting days, it remains open until adjournment.
Contact Information
Karen Young, Manager, Parliamentary Dining Room
karen.young@leg.bc.ca
The Sergeant-at-Arms is a permanent officer of the House, responsible for the security of the Parliament Buildings and Legislative Precinct to ensure the House, its committees, and Members are able to conduct their business without disturbance or interruption. The Sergeant-at-Arms has a ceremonial role as well, which includes carrying the mace in and out of the Chamber during daily sittings, and the black rod when accompanying the Lieutenant Governor.
Legislative Assembly Protective Services
The Legislative Assembly Protective Services (LAPS) ensure the safety and security of Members, staff, and the public within the Legislative Precinct. Constituency office security, parking, card-lock access, and emergency first aid services also fall under the purview of LAPS.
Chamber Services
The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms supports the Sergeant-at-Arms in carrying out duties pertaining to the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly. This includes custody of the Chamber and its furnishings, custody of bills prior to introduction, the distribution of legislative documents, and providing Chamber attendants and gallery staff during House sittings.
Contact Information
General Inquiries
250-387-0953
reservations@leg.bc.ca
Ray Robitaille, Sergeant-at-Arms
ray.robitaille@leg.bc.ca