Coalition additional comments

1.1Coalition senators consider that more time should be allocated to Cross Portfolio Indigenous Matters. This is because it is difficult – perhaps impossible – to properly examine government expenditure in this important area on a single day.

1.2The Cross Portfolio Indigenous Matters consists of 15 Commonwealth agencies that can be called to Senate Estimates. During the Cross Portfolio session of the hearing there are a further 5 Government Departments that can be called before the committee. These are listed below:

1.3In 2023–24, the Indigenous-specific bodies at the Commonwealth level, were allocated approximately $2.4 billion in budget appropriations and equity contributions, plus $346.6 million from dedicated special accounts. During the same period these bodies employed 2,714 full-time-equivalent public servants.

1.4This Budget Estimates, as detailed in the committee’s report, the Cross Portfolio Indigenous Matters hearing was held on 7June 2024 and the program set the hours of 9.00am – 5.00pm. Accounting for breaks, less than 7 hours was allocated. Predictably, as the day unfolded the committee realised that it would not be able to question all the scheduled agencies. The committee agreed to hold a spillover hearing on 25 June for 3 hours. This was during a sitting day, and questioning was necessarily truncated.

1.5Since the inclusion of Cross Portfolio Indigenous matters in the schedule, the focus on both the improvement of matters of Government policy impacting on Indigenous Australians and the scrutiny on service delivery has appropriately increased significantly.

1.6Attempting to cram the breadth of scope and the number of witnesses into a 9.00am – 5.00pm Senate day simply does not do justice to the scale of the task nor the matters to be addressed.

1.7More time must be given to examination of expenditure in this important policy area. It is crucial that Australians have an assurance that the Government is appropriately spending funds and that programs are being delivered.

1.8For this reason, Coalition senators recommend that additional time be allocated to Cross Portfolio Indigenous matters.

1.9For Additional Estimates and Supplementary Budget Estimates, Coalition Senators recommend that the equivalent of two 9.00am – 5.00pm days be allocated.

1.10For Budget Estimates, Coalition Senators recommend that two full estimates days (9.00am – 11.00pm) be allocated to Cross Portfolio Indigenous matters.

1.11Coalition Senators recommend that the Cross Portfolio Indigenous matters be allocated the equivalent of two (2) 9.00am – 5.00pm hearing days for Additional and Supplementary Estimates hearings, and Budget Estimates hearings be allocated two (2) 9.00am – 11.00pm Estimates days.