CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - The distinctive black robe of the clerk of the legislative assembly has been handed to Joey Jeffrey.
Jeffrey has spent the last six years as director of corporate services for the legislative assembly.
In the P.E.I. legislature on Wednesday, it was announced that he will replace Charles MacKay, who announced in September he was retiring after three decades in the clerk’s office.
Jeffrey says he is excited to be taking on such a critical role in the province’s democracy.
“It really is a dream job for me,” Jeffrey said in an interview with The Guardian, moments after his appointment was made public.
“I have nothing but the utmost respect for this place, and to be able to take this position on at the legislature in Prince Edward Island is a huge privilege.”
Jeffrey, 41, lives in Charlottetown. He has a bachelor of commerce degree with a major in finance from St. Mary’s University in Halifax. His dad was in the military, which means Jeffrey has called a number of cities home. He spent part of his childhood in P.E.I. before moving to Dartmouth. He moved back to the Island 11 years ago.
Before joining the P.E.I. legislative assembly, he worked for the province’s Population Secretariat.
The clerk of the legislative assembly may have a front-row seat to history, sitting in front of the Speaker of the house, but he is rarely in the public eye.
Clerk duties include recording decisions of the house, safekeeping records and documents and providing administrative support to the Speaker, House, and members. The clerk is also responsible for more than 65 individuals. This includes staff at the legislature and its independent offices, including the auditor general, Elections P.E.I. and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
The clerk also acts as a sort of walking rulebook for parliamentary procedure, advising the Speaker and other members of the house.
Jeffrey, who takes on his new role March 31, 2019, said he has big shoes to fill replacing MacKay, who has spent more than 30 years in the clerk’s office, including 18 in his current position as clerk of the legislative assembly.
He’ll have the next four months to learn the ropes.
“Charlie (MacKay) has been here 30 years and is one of the most respected clerks in the country,” said Jeffrey.
