Annual Report 2019-20


Introduction

  • The Standing Committee on Appropriations, Staffing and Security is appointed under Senate Standing Order 19. The committee inquiries into:
    • proposals for the annual estimates and the additional estimates for the Senate;1
    • proposals to vary the staff structure of the Senate, and staffing and recruitment policies;2
    • the administration, operation and funding of security measures affecting the Senate and advise the President and the Senate as appropriate;3
    • proposed    changes    in    the    structure   and    responsibilities   of    the parliamentary departments;4
    • the administration and funding of information and communications technology services for the Parliament,5and
    • other matters as are referred by the Senate.
  • The committee makes this annual report to the Senate in accordance with Standing Order 19(3)(c).
  • The committee is chaired by the President of the Senate and includes the Deputy President and eight other senators. The Senate Leaders of the Government and the Opposition are ex officio members.6

Committee membership

  • During the 2019-20 financial year the following senators were committee members:
    • President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Scott Ryan (Chair)
    • Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Sue Lines
    • Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator the Hon. Mathias Cormann)
    • Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator the Hon. Penny Wong)
    • Senator Raff Ciccone (appointed 2 July 2019)
    • Senator the Hon Jonathon Duniam (appointed 2 July 2019)
    • Senator Katy Gallagher (appointed 2 July 2019)
    • Senator the Hon Anne Ruston (appointed 2 July 2019)
    • Senator Dean Smith (appointed 2 July 2019)

Committee activities

  • During the reporting period, the committee met on four occasions and tabled one report, its Annual Report for 2018-19 (tabled on 20 March 2020).

Estimates for the Senate department

  • The committee received and noted quarterly updates on the financial position of the Department of the Senate throughout the year as well as the annual report of the department's Audit Committee. No report on the department's budget estimates was tabled during the year as  a  result  of  the  Federal  Budget  being  deferred  to  October 2020.

Security and information technology

  • At each meeting of the committee the Chair updated the committee on matters pertaining to security, information technology and building works relevant to the Senate and senators, including the following:

3 December 2019, the committee:

  • discussed the annual report of the APH CCTV system, and
  • discussed the operation of the Electronic Access Card System (EACS), and in particular, the security and retention of data collected under the system and its interaction with parliamentary privilege. The committee noted that the Privileges Committee should be consulted regarding the development of guidelines addressing these issues.

27 February 2020, the committee:

  • approved the draft of the committee's 2019 Annual Report;
  • received a briefing on the CCTV Code of Practice review from the Department of Parliamentary Services;
  • discussed the draft EACS policy and the requirement for appropriate protections of parliamentary privilege to be included in the policy, and
  • received a briefing on the security of the Parliamentary Computing Network.

14 May 2020, the committee:

  • received a briefing on substantial building works to be undertaken at Parliament House, including: works on the building's kitchens, necessitating changed catering arrangements;
  • received an update on the EACS office entry system draft policy;
  • received an update on the operation and review of the APH CCTV Code of Practice;
  • received an update on the security of the Parliamentary Computing Network, and
  • received an update on the future installation of upgraded mobile phone antennas around APH.

18 June 2020, the committee:

  • received an update on building works at Parliament House;
  • considered and adopted the draft Electronic Access Control System (EACS) Code of Practice (the Code);
  • considered the CCTV Quarterly Report;
  • received an update on the review of compliance with the CCTV Code;
  • received an update on the mobile phone antennae upgrade, and
  • noted that the Health and Recreation Centre is preparing to provide 24/7 access for Members of Parliament.

Senator the Hon Scott Ryan
Chair

Footnotes

1 Standing Order (S.O.) 19(2)(a)
2 S.O. 19(2)(b)
3 Journals of the Senate, No 89, 25 March 2015, pp 2412-13, S.O. 19(3)(d)
4 Journals of the Senate, No 200, 3 June 1987, p 1951
5 S.O. 19(3)(e)
6 S.O. 19(4)