10 September 2009
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today the appointment of Gary W. O’Brien as Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments, effective September 16, 2009. He succeeds Paul Bélisle, who is retiring from the position on September 15, 2009.
Gary O’Brien began his career on Parliament Hill in 1975 with the Library of Parliament, after obtaining his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Glendon Campus, York University and his Master of Arts in Political Science from Carleton University. He left the Library of Parliament to join the House of Commons as a procedural analyst in 1976. In 1980 he joined the Senate, where he served as Chief of English Journals and Director of Committees until assuming the role of Deputy Clerk in 1999, a position he held until 2006. During his tenure as Chief of English Journals he completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Carleton University. He has published several articles and book reviews on parliamentary procedures, and presented papers to the Canadian Political Science Association and at events such as the Canadian Presiding Officers Conference, the Joint Canadian-American Clerks Conference and the Inter-parliamentary Conference and Meeting of the Association of Secretaries General.
As the Senate’s chief administrative officer, the Clerk of the Senate manages the Senate’s day-to-day operations. The Clerk also supports all aspects of the legislative process, from the swearing-in of new senators to ensuring the provision of expert and impartial advice on parliamentary and legislative practice and procedures and interpretation of the rules. By doing so, the Clerk enables the Speaker of the Senate and Senators to fulfill their constitutional duties, including legislative functions, in the Chamber, in committee and in their individual parliamentary activities.
