The department’s operations are primarily administrative and are therefore not usually subject to formal external scrutiny.

Freedom of information

The department is excluded from the application of the Freedom of Information Act 1982, under section 68A of the Parliamentary Service Act.

Public interest disclosure

The Clerk, as the principal officer of the department for the purposes of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013, has appointed authorised officers and established procedures for facilitating and dealing with public interest disclosures relating to the department in accordance with that Act.

Judicial and administrative decisions

No judicial decisions or decisions of administrative tribunals or by the Australian Information Commissioner during 2015–16 had, or are anticipated to have, a significant effect on the operations of the department.

Reports by the Auditor-General, parliamentary committees or the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The Australian National Audit Office audited the department’s 2014–15 financial statements and provided an unqualified audit report.

During the reporting year, the Clerk made submissions and/or provided evidence to the:

·         House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure’s inquiry into the consideration in detail of the main

          appropriation bills

·         House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure’s inquiry into the provisions for nursing mothers

·         House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure’s inquiry into the conduct of question time

·         Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ inquiry into the delivery of electoral education

·         Human Rights Sub-Committee, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s inquiry into human

           rights issues confronting women and girls in the Indian  Ocean–Asia–Pacific region

·         New South Wales Legislative Council’s Select Committee on the Legislative Committee System—preparing for the next

          25 years

·         Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs’ inquiry into initiatives towards a

          family-friendly House of Commons

·         House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure’s inquiry into procedures for counting and reporting the

          vote in a division

·         New South Wales Legislative Council’s Procedure Committee’s inquiry into young children accompanying members into

          the House.

The department continued to support the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration’s consideration of the department’s funding requirements. The Clerk and other departmental staff provided the committee with information on the department’s budget position and attended the committee’s meetings to enable the committee to discharge its responsibilities under Standing Order 222A. On 5 May 2016, the committee tabled Report No. 10: Annual report 2014–15 and Report No. 11: Budget estimates 2016–17.

In the annual report, the committee noted that it had met four times during the period covered and concluded that it had played a positive and responsible role in assessing the department’s funding requirements and bringing them to the attention of the government. In the budget estimates report, the committee noted that it had considered an alternative funding model for the department based on the concept of a base–line budget and a number of funding proposals. As in previous reports, the committee commended the department’s careful financial management over many years and indicated that it would continue to monitor closely the department’s financial position.

No investigations by the Commonwealth Ombudsman in 2015–16 involved the department.

Privacy

While not an agency to which the Privacy Act 1988 applies, the department abides by the principles of the legislation in its dealings with employees and the handling of their records.

Disability reporting mechanisms

The National Disability Strategy 2010–2020 sets out a 10-year national policy framework to improve the lives of people with disability, promote participation and create a more inclusive society. A high-level two-yearly report will track progress against each of the six outcome areas of the strategy and present a picture of how people with disability are faring. The first of these reports was published in 2014 on the Department of Social Services website (www.dss.gov.au).

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