PARLIAMENT RESPONSES TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT HELPS DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC A buzzing kitchen, delicious comfort food and a passionate, dedicated team are some of the ingredients that helped feed families in need and saved jobs during the global COVID-19 pandemic at the Parliament of New South Wales. While the traditional role of the Parliament is to make laws for the State, allow Members to represent the views and needs of their communities, and provide scrutiny of the Government through the Parliament and its Committees, the COVID-19 pandemic provided new avenues for the Parliament of New South Wales to reach out to local communities. In particular, the partnership between the Parliamentary Catering team and OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation which provides charities with meals to help feed people in need, saw the New South Wales Parliament engaging with the community to a degree not achieved before. In fact, this Parliament became one of OzHarvest’s largest contributors, with more than 178,000 meals provided for homeless and vulnerable members of the community since the partnership began in April 2020. It was a significant community engagement initiative and a collaborative effort from all those involved across the Parliament and OzHarvest. The programme showcased just what Parliaments can do to work with and support their local communities. Besides our traditional role of community representation and support, we believe it is also incumbent on all Parliamentarians to have a social conscience during times of difficulty and do what we can in our personal capacity to help the homeless and underprivileged. Teaming up with OzHarvest to feed and sustain people was an important and effective way of doing so.
Hon. Matthew MasonCox, MLC is the President
of the New South Wales Legislative Council since May 2021. He was first elected in 2006 and has held several parliamentary positions including Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and Minister for Fair Trading.
404 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue Four | 100 years of publishing
Parliamentary Catering Located within Sydney’s historic centre, the Parliament of New South Wales is the oldest Parliament in Australia. Originally built as a hospital in 1816 and funded by the rum trade, the New South Wales Parliament House has evolved to accommodate the two democratically elected Houses of Parliament - the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. As most of us know, it is also home to a renowned dining and restaurant team. Since the early days of the colony, a catering service has been available to sustain Parliamentarians while they work, often late into the night. Many Members of Parliament travel great distances from their rural and regional electorates to attend Parliament. Since those early times, Parliamentary Catering has hosted formal dinners and receptions for visiting dignitaries and special guests, including on two occasions, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Patron of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. More recently, the Parliament successfully opened up its dining venues to the public. Offerings include fine dining at the Strangers’ Restaurant, functions in seven unique event spaces, traditional high tea every Friday, and a public café for visitors to stop for a coffee or light lunch. The Parliamentary Catering team is made up of permanent, casual and agency staff who work together to deliver a high-quality experience across all Parliamentary food outlets. Pivoting during the pandemic Our partnership with OzHarvest during the pandemic came about in response to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. As New South Wales entered its first COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020, the New South Wales Parliament was closed to the general public and staff were required to work from home where their roles permitted, with no customers for the catering kitchen team to serve.
Hon. Jonathan O’Dea, MP is the Speaker of the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly and the Member for Davidson in northern Sydney. He was first elected in 2007 and became Speaker in 2019. He has held a number of parliamentary roles including Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Treasurer.
