Chapter 1Overview
1.1On 7 February 2024, the Senate referred the following documents to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee (committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of estimates proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024;
Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024; and
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024.
Portfolio coverage
1.2In accordance with resolutions of the Senate of 27 July 2022, the committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Education;
Employment and Workplace Relations.
1.3A full list of agencies is available at Appendix 1.
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2023-24
1.4The Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2023-24 for the Education portfolio and the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio were tabled in the Senate on 7 February 2024.
Hearings
1.5On 19 October 2023, the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, moved that Additional Estimates hearings for the committee would occur from Wednesday 14 February to Thursday 15 February.
1.6Accordingly, the committee agreed to consider particulars of proposed expenditure as follows:
Employment and Workplace Relations matters – 14 February 2024
Education matters – 15 February 2024.
1.7The first day of hearings focused on the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, under the responsibility of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The final day of the hearings examined the Education portfolio, under the responsibility of the Department of Education.
1.8The committee heard evidence from the following Ministers:
Senator the Hon Murray Watt, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for Emergency Management, representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations;
Senator the Hon Anthony Chisolm, the Assistant Minister for Education and the Assistant Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Skills and Training and the Minister for Education.
1.9Evidence was also provided by the following departmental secretaries who were accompanied by officers of their portfolio departments and agencies:
Ms Natalie James, Secretary, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations;
Mr Tony Cook PSM, Secretary, Department of Education.
1.10The following portfolio agency from the Education portfolio was not required to appear:
Australian National University.
1.11The following portfolio agencies from the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio were not required to appear:
Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency;
Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave Funding) Corporation;
Comcare; and
Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority.
1.12The committee extends its appreciation to the Ministers and officers of the departments and agencies who assisted the committee in conducting its 2023-24 Additional Estimates hearings.
Questions on Notice
1.13In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee set 5 April 2024 as the date for return of answers to questions on notice arising from the 2023-24 Additional Estimates hearings.
1.14Answers to questions on notice are published on the committee's website.
Hansard transcripts
1.15Committee Hansard transcripts are accessible on the committee's website.
1.16In this report, references to the committee Hansard are to the proof transcripts. Page numbers may vary between the transcripts of the proof Hansard and the official Hansard.
Supplementary Budget Estimates 2023-24: Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.17The committee’s 2023-24 Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings examined the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio on 25 October 2023. The Education portfolio was examined on 26 October 2023.
1.18Answers to questions on notice were due by 15 December 2023.
1.19For the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, the committee received answers to 157 out of 397 questions taken on notice, by the due date of 15 December 2023. The remaining answers were received between 18 December 2023 and 31 January 2024. Two additional questions on notice were submitted to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations on 15 January 2024. Answers to these questions were requested by 29 January 2024 and were received on 1 February 2024.
1.20For the Education portfolio, the committee received answers to 0 out of 448 questions taken on notice by the due date of 15 December 2023. All answers were received on 22 December 2023.
1.21The committee encourages portfolio departments and agencies to supply answers to questions on notice by the due date for future estimates hearings.
Record of proceedings
1.22The report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during the hearings. However, it does provide a brief summary of some of the key issues that were examined by the committee for each portfolio.