Chapter 1Overview
1.1On 9May 2023, the Senate referred the following documents to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee (committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024
Particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024
Particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to 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 Budget Estimates Statements 2023-24
1.4The Portfolio Budget Estimates Statements 2023-24 for the Education portfolio and the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio were tabled in the Senate on 9 May 2023.
Hearings
1.5On 29 November 2022, the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, moved that Budget Estimates hearings for the committee would occur from Tuesday 30 May 2023 to Friday 2 June 2023.
1.6Accordingly, the committee agreed to consider particulars of proposed expenditure as follows:
Employment and Workplace Relations matters – 30 May 2023 to 31 May 2023
Education matters – 1 June 2023 to 2 June 2023.
1.7The first two days of hearings focused on the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, under the responsibility of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The final two days 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 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 agencies from Employment and Workplace Relations were not required to appear:
Comcare
Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority
Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency
1.11The committee extends its appreciation to the Ministers and officers of the departments and agencies who assisted the committee in conducting its 2023-24 Budget Estimates hearings.
Questions on Notice
1.12In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee set 14 July 2023 as the date for return of answers to questions on notice arising from the 2023-24 Budget Estimates hearings.
1.13Answers to questions on notice are published on the committee's website.
Hansard transcripts
1.14Committee Hansard transcripts are accessible on the committee's website.
1.15In 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 2022-23: Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.16The committee's 2022-23 Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings examined the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio on 15 and 16 February 2023. The Education portfolio was examined on 16 February 2023.
1.17Answers to questions on notice were due by 31 March 2023.
1.18For the Employment and Workplace Relations portfolio, the committee received answers to 103 of 423 questions taken on notice by the due date of 31 March 2023. The remaining answers were received between 3 April 2023 and 12 May 2023.
1.19For the Education portfolio, the committee received answers to 0 of 259 questions taken on notice by the due date of 31 March 2023. All answers to questions on notice were received on 2 May 2023.
1.20The committee notes that the supply of late answers is not conductive to the transparency and accountability of government expenditure and departmental administration.
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.