Audrey Elizabeth O'Brien
Audrey O’Brien was appointed the twelfth Clerk of the House of Commons in October 2005. She is the first woman to hold this office.
Like her recent predecessors, Ms. O’Brien had a long and distinguished career within the House Administration prior to her appointment as Clerk of the House. In her 25 years of service to the institution, she has served seven Speakers and Members of nine Parliaments.
Employment Experience
2005-present
Appointed Clerk of the House of Commons on October 11, 2005.
2005
Appointed Acting Clerk of the House of Commons on May 20, 2005 and appointed Interim Head of Parliamentary Precinct Services in March
2005.
2000-2005
Appointed Deputy Clerk. Heads
Procedural Services which includes House Proceedings,
Journals, Private Members' Business Office, Page
Programme, Table Research, International and
Interparliamentary Affairs, and Committees and
Legislative Services. Continues to serve as a Senior
Table Officer.
1999-2000
As Clerk Assistant (Corporate
Resources), served as a Senior Table Officer and directed
various corporate operations (i.e., financial services;
human resources; planning; audit and review;
communications; legal services) as well as Parliamentary Publications in Procedural Services.
1997-1999
As Clerk Assistant (House Proceedings), served as a Senior Table Officer and directed several operations in Procedural Services (i.e. Journals Branch, including the Private Members'
Business Office and the Page Programme; Table Research
Branch and the Bourinot Office; Parliamentary Exchanges;
and Parliamentary Publications).
1996-2006
Served as Secretary to the Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers.
1995-1997
Member of House of Commons Transition Team.
1994-1997
Principal Clerk, Parliamentary Research, Exchanges
and House Proceedings.
1987-1994
Principal Clerk, Table Research Branch, and first appointed as a Table Officer.
1984-1987
Deputy Principal Clerk, Bourinot Project, Table Research Branch.
1984
Executive Assistant to the Clerk of the House of Commons.
1980-1984
Committee Clerk, House of Commons (Special Joint Committee on Official Languages;
Special Committee on Pension Reform; Standing Committee
on Health and Welfare et al.).
1976-1977
Committee Clerk, House of Commons.
Education
- Graduated from St. Patrick’s High School (Québec) (1966)
- Scholarship to Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax) (1966-68)
- Graduated from Carleton University (Ottawa) with Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (1968-72)
- Graduate studies in English Literature at Queen’s University (Kingston) (1972)
- Clerk’s Attachments: House of Commons, Westminster, U.K. (1987); House of Representatives, Australia (1990)
- Senior Management Programs: Dalhousie University (1990); Canadian Centre for Management Development (1992 and 1995-96); Niagara Institute (1999)
Professional Associations
- Association of Clerks-at-the-Table in Canada
- Society of Clerks-at-the-Table in Commonwealth Parliaments
- Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments
- Association des secrétaires généraux des Parlements francophones
- Canadian Study of Parliament Group