Chapter 1Overview
1.1On 4 February 2025, the Senate referred the following documents to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee (committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2025;
Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2025; and
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2025.
Portfolio coverage
1.2In accordance with resolutions of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the committee is responsible for the examination of expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Education; and
Employment and Workplace Relations.
Portfolio Additional Estimates 2024–25
1.3The Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements for 2024–25 for the Education portfolio and the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio were tabled in the Senate on 4 February 2025.
Hearings
1.4On 28 November 2024, the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, moved that Additional Estimates hearings for the committee would occur from Wednesday 26 February to Thursday 27 February.
1.5Accordingly, the committee agreed to consider particulars of proposed expenditure as follows:
Employment and Workplace Relations matters – 26 February 2025
Education matters – 27 February 2025.
1.6The 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.
1.7The committee heard evidence from the following Ministers:
Senator the Hon Murray Watt, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, who also represented the Minister for Skills and Training; and
Senator the Hon Anthony Chisolm, the Assistant Minister for Education, Assistant Minister for Regional Development, and Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, representing the Minister for Education.
1.8Evidence 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; and
Mr Tony Cook PSM, Secretary, Department of Education.
1.9The following portfolio agencies from the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio were not required to appear:
Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency;
Safe Work Australia; and
Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority.
1.10The committee extends its appreciation to the ministers and officers of the departments and agencies who assisted the committee in conducting its 2024–25 Additional Estimates hearings.
Questions on Notice
1.11In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee set 24 March 2025 as the date for return of answers to questions on notice arising from the 2024–25 Additional Estimates hearings.
1.12Answers to questions on notice are published on the committee's website.
Hansard transcripts
1.13Committee Hansard transcripts are accessible on the committee's website.
1.14In 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 2024–25: Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.15The committee's 2024–25 Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings examined the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio on 6 November 2024. The Education portfolio was examined on 7 November 2024.
1.16Answers to questions on notice were due by 19 December 2024.
1.17For the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, the committee received answers to 1266 out of 1270 questions taken on notice by the due date of 19 December 2024. The remaining answers were received on 20 December 2024.
1.18For the Education portfolio, the committee received answers to zero out of 397 questions taken on notice. The Education portfolio entities submitted their answers to the committee between 23 December 2024 and 24 February 2025.
1.19The committee encourages portfolio departments and agencies to supply answers to questions on notice by the due date for future estimates hearings.
Record of proceedings
1.20The 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.