Senate clerk Rosemary Laing to retire

The public servant who oversees business in the Senate is retiring.

Rosemary Laing will step down as Clerk of the Senate on March 8, having served as an official in the upper house for 26 years, with seven years in the top job.

Leader of the opposition in the Senate Penny Wong paid tribute to Dr Laing saying without such people parliament could not properly function and government would not be held to account.