1.1
On 11 May 2021, the Senate referred the following to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022;
particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022; and the
particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022.
1.2
The committee has responsibility for examining the expenditure and outcomes of the following departments and agencies:
Parliamentary departments;
Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) portfolio;
cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters.
1.3
Departments and agencies under the committee's oversight are listed in Appendix 1 of this report.
Portfolio Budget Statements 2021–22
1.4
The Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) 2021–22 for the PM&C portfolio, the Finance portfolio and the Parliamentary departments were tabled in the Senate on 11 May 2021.
Hearings
1.5
The committee held public hearings on the following dates:
Monday 24 May 2021—Parliamentary departments and the PM&C portfolio;
Tuesday 25 May 2021—PM&C portfolio;
Wednesday 26 May 2021—Finance portfolio;
Thursday 27 May 2021—Finance portfolio; and
Friday 28 May 2021—cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters.
1.6
The committee took evidence from the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Scott Ryan, and the following ministers accompanied by officers of relevant departments and agencies:
Senator the Hon Jonathon Duniam, Assistant Minister for Industry Development and Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries;
Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Minister for Women;
Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Finance; and
Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services and Minister for Sport.
1.7
The committee expresses its appreciation for the assistance of the President, ministers and officers who appeared.
1.8
Over the course of the hearings, the committee took evidence from the following departments, agencies and statutory officers:
Parliamentary departments
Department of the Senate; and the
Department of Parliamentary Services.
PM&C portfolio
National Recovery and Resilience Agency;
Workplace Gender Equality Agency;
National Australia Day Council;
Digital Transformation Agency;
Australian Public Service Commission;
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General;
Office of National Intelligence;
Australian National Audit Office; and the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Finance portfolio
Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd;
Future Fund Management Agency;
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority; and the
Australian Electoral Commission.
Cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters
Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation;
Indigenous Business Australia;
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations;
National Indigenous Australians Agency; and the
Department of Health (in relation to Indigenous health issues).
1.9
Documents tabled during the hearings are listed in Appendix 2.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.10
The committee set Friday 16 July 2021 as the date for the return of answers to questions on notice arising from the hearings for budget estimates 2021–22.
1.11
Answers to questions on notice are published on the committee's estimates webpage as they are received, along with the Hansard transcripts of the proceedings of the hearings.
Answers to questions on notice—Additional estimates 2020–21
1.12
The committee's examination of the additional estimates 2020–21 took place on the following dates:
Monday 22 March 2021—Parliamentary departments and the PM&C portfolio;
Tuesday 23 March 2021—Finance portfolio; and
Friday 26 March 2021—cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters.
1.13
The committee set 7 May 2021 as the date for the return of answers to questions on notice.
Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.14
The committee placed a total of 1705 questions on notice, with 947 received by the due date of 7 May 2021.
1.15
The Parliamentary departments took 161 questions on notice and all answers were provided by the due date.
1.16
The Finance portfolio took 189 questions on notice and 89 were provided by the due date, with the 100 remaining responses provided by 25 May 2021.
1.17
The Department of Health took three questions on notice. Two were provided by the due date and the remaining response was provided on 10 May 2021.
1.18
The PM&C portfolio (including the cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters) took 1352 questions on notice, with 1038 answers provided by the due date. As at the time of this report, 61 answers remain outstanding.
1.19
The committee also notes that the PM&C portfolio has six answers to questions on notice outstanding from additional estimates 2019–20 (due 8 May 2020) and 20 questions on notice outstanding from supplementary budget estimates 2019–20 (due 6 December 2019).
1.20
The committee highlights its preference for outstanding responses to be provided before the next estimates round.