1.1
The Senate Economics Legislation Committee (the committee) is responsible for examining the expenditure and outcomes of the Treasury Portfolio, Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Portfolio (Industry Portfolio) excluding matters relating to energy, and the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (Infrastructure Portfolio) Northern Australia only.
Documents referred
1.2
On 10 February 2022 the Senate referred the following documents to the committee for examination and report in relation to the abovementioned portfolios:
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022 [Appropriation Bill (No.3) 2021–2022];
Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022 [Appropriation Bill (No.4) 2021–2022]; and
Estimates of proposed additional expenditure for 2021–22—Portfolio additional estimates statements—Portfolios and executive departments.
1.3
The following documents were tabled in the Senate pursuant to orders:
Departmental and agency appointments and vacancies—Letters of advice pursuant to the order of the Senate of 24 June 2008—Additional Estimates 2021–22—Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio—Science and Technology;
Departmental and agency grants—Letters of advice pursuant to the order of the Senate of 24 June 2008—Additional Estimates 2021–22—Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio—Science and Technology; and
Estimates hearings—Unanswered questions on notice—Statements pursuant to the order of the Senate of 25 June 2014—Budget estimates
2021–22 (Supplementary)—Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio—Science and Technology.
1.4
The proposed Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (PAES) 2021–22 for the Treasury Portfolio and Industry Portfolio were tabled in the Senate on
10 February 2022.
Additional estimates hearings
1.5
To facilitate the examination, the Senate set 16–17 February 2022 as the dates for the committee to hold its 2021–22 Additional estimates hearings, with the first day set aside for the Treasury Portfolio, and the second day for the Industry portfolio and Infrastructure Portfolio.
1.6
The agencies that appeared before the committee are included in Chapter 2. The Inspector-General of Taxation, Productivity Commission and the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman were scheduled to appear on
16 February 2022 but were released by the committee. The Office of Innovation and Science Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and Geoscience Australia were scheduled to appear on 17 February 2022 but were released by the committee.
1.7
Evidence was provided at the hearings by the following Ministers:
Senator the Hon Simon Burmingham, Minister for Finance;
Senator the Hon Jane Hume, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy;
Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Sport; and
Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Minister for International Development and the Pacific.
1.8
Evidence was also provided by senior officers of the Treasury Portfolio, led by Secretary Dr Steven Kennedy PSM, and of the Industry Portfolio, led by Secretary Mr David Fredericks PSM. The Northern Australia component of the Infrastructure Portfolio was led by Deputy Secretary Ms Marisa Purvis-Smith.
1.9
The committee thanks the Ministers and officers who provided evidence at, and support for, the committee's estimates hearings.
1.10
A verbatim record of the committee's hearings is made via the Committee Hansard and is accessible on the committee's estimates webpage. References in this report are to the proof Committee Hansard.
1.11
A list of the documents tabled during the committee's hearings is available at Appendix 1. Tabled documents are published on the committee's estimates webpage.
Public interest immunity claims
1.12
On 13 May 2009, the Senate passed an order relating to public interest immunity (PII) claims. The order sets out the processes to be followed if a witness declines to answer a question. The full text of this order has previously been provided to departments and agencies and was incorporated in the Chair's opening statement at the commencement of each hearing.
1.13
The committee notes that one PII claim was made by Minister Hume during the agency appearance of the Market Group in the Treasury Portfolio relating to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Cyclone and Flood Damage Reinsurance Pool) Bill 2022 inquiry conducted by the committee. The PII claim was not agreed to or dealt with by the committee.
Questions on notice
1.14
In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee has drawn the attention of the departments and their agencies to the agreed deadline for responses of 25 March 2022 for all questions on notice received by the committee up to 25 February 2022. For all remaining questions on notice (QoNs) received by the committee from the 26 February 2022 and up until
29 March 2022 there is a deadline of 26 April 2022 for the receipt of answers to questions on notice.
1.15
As the committee is required to report to the Senate before responses to questions are due, this report has been prepared without reference to any answers to QoNs.
1.16
Responses to QoNs and additional information provided to the committee are tabled in the Senate and uploaded to the committee's estimates webpage as they become available.
Timeliness of answers from the 2021–22 Supplementary Budget Estimates
1.17
At its previous Supplementary Budget Estimates, the committee asked a total of 284 QoNs, with answers due six weeks after the last day of hearings on
9 December 2021. The departments and agencies returned the following number of answers by the due date:
Treasury Portfolio—of the 170 questions taken on notice, 29 answers were provided by the committee's set due date;
Industry Portfolio—of the 91 questions taken on notice, 57 answers were provided by the committee's set due date; and
Infrastructure Portfolio—of the 23 questions taken on notice, 21 answers were provided by the committee's set due date.
1.18
The departments and agencies returned the outstanding questions on notice by the following dates:
Treasury Portfolio—provided its last outstanding answers on
17 February 2022, during the Additional estimates hearing, with the outstanding answers to QoNs being from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) being received concurrently with their appearance;
Industry Portfolio—provided its last outstanding answer to QoNs on
4 February 2022; and
Infrastructure Portfolio—provided its last outstanding answer to QoNs on
5 January 2022.
Report Structure
1.19
The Senate determined that the committee would report on its 'consideration of the advances provided under the annual Appropriation Acts be made an order of the day for the day on which committees report on their examination of the additional estimates.'
1.20
This report is structured as follows:
Chapter 1—provides an overview of the committee's hearings;
Chapter 2—reports on the key issues considered by the committee during the hearings; and
Appendix 1—lists the documents tabled during the committee's hearing.
1.21
This report does not seek to comprehensively analyse the evidence provided to the committee, rather the report is intended to inform the Senate of the key issues considered by the committee during the course of the hearings.