We asked Parliamentary Research Officer Daniel Montoya about his work with the Parliament of NSW.  Here’s what he told us:

What is the role of the Research team?

The research team provides independent research to members of the NSW parliament, parliamentary committees and parliamentary staff. We aim to improve decision making and the understanding of issues of importance to NSW and parliament through the provision of impartial and authoritative information and analysis. We do this in 2 main ways: through answering confidential research requests from members, and by publishing research papers for the parliament on the parliament’s website.

Could you describe a typical day in the life of a team member?

We spend most of our day writing research papers. One of the most interesting parts of our job is the variety of topics we get to work on. If it’s important to the people of NSW, then it’s a topic we’ve probably written about. Examples of the topics we’ve written on in the last 2 years include Indigenous imprisonment, housing, the age of criminal responsibility, unemployment, net zero, energy, protest law, plastic pollution, tenancy rights, education, integrity in government, mental health and natural disasters. Most of the time, writing a research paper is a solitary task where a researcher identifies and collates the relevant information, synthesises and analyses it, and writes it up in a way that is accessible and suitable for time-poor members of Parliament. At key points in the writing process, we also get to spend time with colleagues debating issues like the importance of the topic, the rigour of the data, interpretation of legislation and how we ensure that the paper is impartial and apolitical.

We also spend a bit of time keeping up to date with policy developments in our areas of expertise by reading sources like Hansard, newsletters from key research and policy institutions, and the news.

What kind of background / qualifications / attributes do team members need to have? Do you have to be good at quizzes?

Researchers need expertise in writing research papers for institutions like universities and other research bodies, and government departments. We are a small team of 10 people which means that we often have to write about topics that we know very little about. That said, researchers still need relevant subject expertise in areas like law, environment, education, health, social issues, economics, planning and energy.

The research team has been doing a quiz from The Australian newspaper at 11:00 every morning for over 15 years. This regular shared break is something that has helped build the fantastic team culture that we have. While we don’t include a question on quiz performance in our interview process for potential staff, we’re always on the lookout for people who know about formula 1, musicals, world leaders and the tallest mountain in every country.

The Research team publishes Parliamentary Research Papers: what papers are you most proud of / were most memorable to research?

The paper I am most proud of is called The use of artificial intelligence by government: parliamentary and legal issues. I really enjoyed writing the paper because it’s a fascinating topic outside of my usual area of expertise. It is also a topic that is of growing importance. AI promises many benefits but also holds significant risks, as we’ve seen recently in Australia with the Robodebt scheme. Many of the features of AI pose challenges to the parliament’s capacity to scrutinise government activity and create law. You can read this Research Paper here. 

What do you love about working at Parliament House?

I love working at parliament because we have a great team and because the work is diverse, interesting and challenging. It’s great to be part of a team that has a long history of having a positive, cooperative, and welcoming culture. I also like knowing that the work we produce individually and as a team contributes to the democratic process in NSW.

NSW Parliament Research Papers are available on the Parliament’s website.

And if you’re wondering about our image of the Research Team – whenever a Research Paper is published, the author rings the bell to mark the publication. 

IMAGE: Daniel Montoya is in the centre of the image with two colleagues from the Parliamentary Research team.