You’ll probably hear him before you see him, and his cry of “Mr Speaker!” sometimes startles MPs who have congregated in the debating chamber for the start of the sitting day.
Steve Streefkerk is Parliament’s Serjeant-at-Arms, heading the procession into the House, carrying on his shoulder a large, ornate golden mace, leading Parliament’s Speaker and others into the chamber.
The Serjeant-at-Arms Steve Streefkerk Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
He’s there to formally kick things off, and runs a team that works to assist Parliament in doing its business, providing support to the presiding officers, the Speaker, Clerk and Members of Parliament “to make sure they have everything they need in order to deliver their services”.
It’s a ceremonial role but there’s a lot more to it, as the Serjeant-at-Arms also has the job of Manager of Business Continuity and Chamber Operations at Parliament. It includes overseeing disaster-preparedness, monitoring the attendance of MPs and overseeing the various feeds into Parliament TV, among other things.
The Serjeant-at-Arms brings a measure of stability and security to the business of Parliament, and has the power to summon people to Parliament, or facilitate the ejection of someone who needs to be kicked out. The Serjeant can also participate in select committees if a chairperson requires assistance to deal with misconduct by someone attending. Very rarely has he been required to perform these functions, although the Covid-19 pandemic produced some occasions.
Working to help Parliament’s critical services function in times of disruption is a major part of the business continuity role, Streefkerk said. The pandemic presented an unprecedented, major disruption.
Serjeant-at-Arms Steve Streefkerk in Parliament's library Photo: Johnny Blades VNP
“We proved our plans during the Covid times and the lockdowns when we continued to deliver our critical services to make sure that the institution of Parliament could still function.
“There were times when we sat with reduced members and reduced staff support. But the House sat. We were there providing the support that we needed to do.”
Streefkerk loves this job and the constant challenge it offers of attending to moving parts.
“Every sitting day is different, and you never know what’s going to come up in the House. And on non-sitting days, or when I’m not involved in the House, I’ve got plenty of other responsibilities and activities to keep me focused.
“I’ve got a great team that provides support to me - either permanent staff or the chamber team who are part-time. My overall team is about 16-strong at the moment.”
Streefkerk was appointed Serjeant-at-Arms on 11 July 2016, as part of the Office of the Clerk. Before that time, the Serjeant-at-Arms and chamber staff were part of the Parliamentary Service.
The Serjeant at Arms Places the Mace for the new Speaker Trevor Mallard Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The most visible part of the Serjeant-at-Arms role is the ceremonial one, lugging in that 1.5 metre-long and 8.2 kilogram-heavy, gilded mace that the Serjeant places on the Table in the centre of the chamber. The mace is a symbol of the authority of Parliament.
Decades of experience in the navy has given Streefkerk “a bent for ceremony”, so he relishes the role of Serjeant-at-Arms. The parade ground helped perfect his proclamation-ready voice.
“I think there’ll always be a Serjeant, I certainly hope there’ll always be a Serjeant. The ceremonial role is great. It’s part of tradition, part of the institution of Parliament, so I see that continuing. Who knows where the future will go, but we’ll go along with it.”
