44th Report: Estimates for the Department of the Senate 2007-08

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44th Report: Estimates for the Department of the Senate 2007-08

May 2007

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008

View the report as a single document - (PDF 19KB)

Members of the Committee

The President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Paul Calvert (Chairman)
The Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Nick Minchin
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Chris Evans
Senator Andrew Bartlett
Senator the Hon. Ron Boswell
Senator the Hon. John Faulkner
Senator the Hon. Bill Heffernan
Senator Robert Ray

The committee

The Standing Committee on Appropriations and Staffing, appointed under standing order 19, determines the amounts for inclusion in the parliamentary appropriation bills and reports to the Senate on its determinations prior to the Senate's consideration of those bills.

The committee examines matters affecting the staffing and administration of the Department of the Senate, including proposals to vary the staffing structure, and other matters referred to it by the Senate. The committee makes an annual report to the Senate on the operations of the Senate's appropriations and staffing and related matters (standing order 19(3)).

The committee has the explicit capacity to scrutinise security funding and administration and to advise the President and the Senate as appropriate. Under a resolution of the Senate agreed to in 1987 the committee also examines proposed changes in the structure and responsibilities of the parliamentary departments.

The committee is chaired by the President and includes the Senate Leaders of the Government and the Opposition as ex officio members.

Secretary

Neil Bessell
Senate Table Office

 

44th Report

Introduction

Standing order 19(2) and (3) requires that the committee determine the amount to be included in the parliamentary appropriation bill for the Department of the Senate.

Proposed Appropriations for 2007-08

The committee notes that the Senate Department's 2007-08 appropriations have been calculated in accordance with current Commonwealth funding policy. Under this policy, the forward estimates reflect the loss of 1.25% efficiency dividend each year and, in the absence of funding for new policy proposals, only parameter adjustments (or partial cost of living supplementation) are possible. A comparison with the 2006-07 appropriation is shown below.

The committee also notes that the department's administered annual appropriation was reduced to zero from the start of the 2006-07 financial year (with the transfer of the Citizenship Visits Program to the Department of Education, Science and Training). The increase in the parliamentary superannuation rate will result in a small increase in special appropriations.

The committee further notes that the proposed appropriations have been calculated as follows:

Part 1 - Departmental Annual Appropriation

The current year's budget for departmental expenses
(as disclosed in the 2006-07 PBS) 		$20.064m
Adjust for miscellaneous adjustments: parameter adjustments,
efficiency dividend and depreciation expense		 0.156m
Total departmental appropriation for 2007-08 $20.220m

Part 2 - Special Appropriations (senators' remuneration)

Made up of the following three components (for this and next year):

2006-07:  
Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 $ 1.592m
Parliamentary Superannuation Act 2004 $ 0.284m
Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 $12.251m
Total Special Appropriations for 2006-07 $14.127m
2007-08:  
Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 $ 1.472m
Parliamentary Superannuation Act 2004 $ 0.400m
Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 $12.591m
Total Special Appropriations for 2007-08 $14.463m

The total appropriation to be approved by the Parliament in the appropriation bill for 2007-08 will be $20.220m (compared to $20.064m in 2006-07).

Special appropriations of $14.463m will also be drawn down during the year (compared to an estimate of $14.127m in 2006-07).

Determination

The committee determines that the total appropriation to be approved by the Parliament in the appropriation bill for 2007-08 is $20.220 million and reports to the Senate accordingly.

 

(Paul Calvert)
Chairman

May 2007