2.1
This chapter lists the key topics discussed for each department and agency examined during the committee's hearings for Budget Estimates 2022–23. Page numbers of the Proof Hansard transcript for that day's hearing are indicated in brackets as a reference.
Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio—Thursday 31 March 2022
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
2.2
Ms Stephanie Foster PSM, Deputy Secretary, Governance and APS Reform, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, made a brief opening statement regarding changes to the department's executive since Additional Estimates 2021–22.
2.3
Topics discussed for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) included:
breakdown of the allotment of funds for the Clean Energy Supply Chain Forum (p. 5);
cost of living measures in the budget including the low- and middle-income tax offset and relief for fuel costs (pp. 7–8 & 34);
updates on the current situation between Russia and Ukraine including: its affect upon cost-of-living pressures for Australians and supply disruptions; what humanitarian, military and consular assistance Australia has provided to Ukraine; and what correspondence the Prime Minister has had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (pp. 8, 15 & 25–29);
the department’s understanding of the Solomon Islands bilateral security treaty with the People’s Republic of China and Australia’s bilateral engagement as a participant in the Pacific Islands Forum (pp. 9–13);
the Prime Minister’s correspondence with the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare (p. 15);
the role of the department in, the timeliness of, and the Prime Minister’s prior briefings to, the national emergency declaration for the Queensland and New South Wales floods of March and April 2022 (pp. 16–19);
application of the Freedom of Information Act 1991 (the FOI Act) with regard to a freedom of information request to the South Australian Police
(pp. 22–25);
Commonwealth Cabinet committees and the status and operation of the National Cabinet (p. 25);
the Prime Minister’s knowledge and actions concerning the following:
constituents signed into APH by Mr Craig Kelly MP;
comments made by Senator Gerard Rennick concerning Russia; and
social media comments made by Mr George Christensen MP (pp. 29–32).
corporate productivity and productivity elements of the budget including tax relief that has been provided to small businesses and the Small Business Technology Investment Boost (p. 33);
measures to acquire more skilled workers including the Australian apprenticeship incentive scheme and the JobTrainer program (p. 34);
funds allocated to additional port infrastructure in Darwin (pp. 35–36);
ownership of the port of Darwin (p. 37);
potential locations for an east coast submarine base and the expansion of existing facilities in Henderson in West Australia (WA) and Osborne in South Australia (SA) (pp. 39–40);
progress of AUKUS’ 18-month review period and consultations with the USA and the UK (pp. 41–42);
COVID deaths in aged care facilities (pp. 42–44);
the Commonwealth’s intervention in the New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party factional dispute (pp. 45–48);
international economic trends and challenges over the forward six months and potential impacts on international trade (pp. 48–50);
administrative support provided by the department to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) regarding FOI requests (pp. 51–53);
status of the review of the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoPS Act), specifically to the call for submissions, staffing and resources of the review’s secretariat and the terms of reference (pp. 53–55);
resourcing for the development and establishment of the Office of Parliamentary Standards and Culture and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (pp. 55–56);
National Cabinet solidarity (pp. 56 & 60);
fund allocation for claims processing within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (pp. 56–58);
declarations of private interests and consistency with ministerial standards (pp. 59–60); and
actions taken at a whole-of-government level for a review into Australia’s COVID-19 response (pp. 61–62).
National Recovery and Resilience Agency
2.4
The Hon Shane Stone AC, QC, Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, made an opening statement updating the committee on the agency's work supporting the recovery efforts following the 2022 Eastern Australia floods.
2.5
Topics discussed for the National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) included:
the level of readiness and immediate response of the agency to the 2022 Eastern Australia floods (pp. 65–66);
categories of emergency relief assistance for individuals and communities (p. 68);
Emergency Response Fund and Disaster Recovery Funding Agreements, and progress of associated projects (pp. 69–70);
sequence of events leading up to the declaration of a national emergency on 11 March 2022 (p. 72);
public statements made by Mr Stone (pp. 74–77);
Commonwealth record-keeping requirements regarding Mr Stone’s diary (pp. 77–78 & 80–81);
recovery coordination measures in the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja in WA (p. 79);
matters relating to the Emergency Response Fund including the announcement of the second round of successful applicants and the progress of the distribution of funds to first-round applicants (pp. 81–83); and
the status of flood relief and mitigation projects in NSW and QLD
(pp. 84–87).
Workplace Gender Equality Agency
2.6
Topics discussed for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency included:
key contributors to the gender pay gap (p. 88);
implementation of the recommendations for the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (WGEA Act) review and company reporting (pp. 89–90); and
timeline for and, corporate measures that may assist in closing the gender pay gap (p. 90).
Office for Women (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet)
2.7
Topics discussed for the Office for Women included:
updates on implementation of the recommendations of the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report 2020 undertaken by Ms Kate Jenkins, Sex Discrimination Commissioner (p. 92); and
updates on the implementation of measures in the 2021-22 Women's Budget Statement (pp. 92–95).
Parliamentary departments—Monday 4 April 2022
Parliamentary Budget Office
2.8
Topics discussed for the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) included:
resourcing and the capacity of the PBO to meet its performance targets
(p. 3); and
the PBO’s role during caretaker period (p. 4).
Department of Parliamentary Services
2.9
Topics discussed for the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) included:
the need for the enhanced security budget and the outcome of the new security policy proposal put forward by DPS (pp. 5–7);
threats to Australian Parliament House (APH) and its occupants in recent years and the need for physical and cyber security upgrades (pp. 9–10);
application of the Hansard corrections and alterations policy, specifically regarding the alteration of a second reading speech of Senator the Hon Jane Hume for the Treasury Amendment (Cost of Living Support and Other Measures) Bill 2022 (Treasury Amendment Bill) (pp. 10–15);
comity between the Houses of Parliament and questions around the alteration of a House of Representatives Hansard transcript (pp. 10–12);
update on the implementation of the recommendations in the Review of the Parliamentary Workplace: Responding to Serious Incidents report and after-hours access to APH (pp. 15 & 17–18);
update on the online survey run by DPS for APH occupants to gauge the department’s performance (p. 16);
further matters regarding the alteration of a second reading speech of Senator the Hon Jane Hume for the Treasury Amendment Bill (pp. 18–19 & 21–22); and
email and other IT disruptions experienced by Senators in APH (pp. 22–23).
Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio—Monday 4 April 2022
Australian Public Service Commission
2.10
Mr Peter Woolcott AO, Australian Public Service Commissioner gave an opening statement that provided an update on the Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC) implementation of the Thodey review and other current APS support measures.
2.11
Topics discussed for the APSC included:
breakdown and allocation of extra budget funding for the regionalisation budget measure (pp. 28–30);
expenditure and capacity of the APS Academy (p. 32);
use of labour hire in engaging casual and non-ongoing employees in the Australian Public Service (APS) (pp. 33–34);
casual conversion uptake and eligibility within the APS (pp. 34–35); and
visibility of the APSC on the use of labour hire and associated expenditure (p. 36).
Office of National Intelligence
2.12
Topics discussed for the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) included:
the ONI’s involvement in the establishment and subsequent operation of the cyber and intelligence centre (pp. 37–38).
Digital Transformation Agency
2.13
Topics discussed for the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) included:
the purpose, rollout, associated expenditure, size, and adoption rate of the ‘trusted digital identity’ (pp. 38–40); and
risk assessment measures taken by the DTA to ensure privacy and security of individuals regarding digital identities (p. 41).
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
2.14
Topics discussed for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet included:
PM&C's knowledge of the alteration of a second reading speech of Senator the Hon Jane Hume for the Treasury Amendment Bill (pp. 41–48);
Mr Alan Tudge MP standing aside as Minister for Education, and when
Mr Tudge's ministerial entitlements ceased (pp. 48–50);
what support and associated costs the Government provided to Mr Clive Palmer in his bid to challenge the Western Australian and Queensland border arrangements (pp. 51 & 59–62);
the department’s role in relation to the Hon Mr Andrew Gee MP , Minister for Veterans Affairs’ bid for additional budget funding (pp. 52–53);
rural and regional budget outcomes (pp. 53–54);
the design and development of the Australian Future Leaders Program, and the ongoing work of the government on deliverables of the program
(pp. 55–59);
PM&C's knowledge of meetings between Mr Brian Houston and Prime Minister the Hon Scott Morrison MP during Mr Morrison's tenure as Prime Minister (pp. 62–63);
legal advice sought on the Statement of Acknowledgement and the apology issued in the House of Representatives to Ms Brittany Higgins regarding the alleged sexual assault that occurred in APH in March 2019 (pp. 64–65);
matters relating to Mr Phil Gaetjens, Secretary of PM&C, and his review of the PMO (pp. 65–66);
national opinion surveys conducted by Painted Dog (pp. 66–67);
an open letter from Mr Gaetjens and Mr Woolcott to the APS workforce
(p. 70); and
compliance of PM&C in answering questions on notice from previous estimates rounds (pp. 71–72).
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
2.15
Official Secretary to the Governor-General, Mr Paul Singer MVO, made an opening statement detailing recent activities of the office.
2.16
Topics discussed for the Office of the Official Secretary to the
Governor-General included:
matters relating to the Australian Future Leaders Program (pp. 78–80); and
revocation of honours previously awarded to Mr Dyson Heydon
(pp. 80–81).
Australian National Audit Office
2.17
Topics discussed for the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) included:
inclusion of the Urban Congestion Fund in a future audit program (p. 82); and
what steps have been taken to audit and report on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (p. 83).
Finance Portfolio – Tuesday 5 April 2022
ASC Pty Ltd
2.18
Topics discussed for ASC Pty Ltd included:
matters relating to the Sovereign Shipbuilding Talent Pool (SSTP) including:
the number of applications and success rate for individuals applying;
the budget provisions for the program over the forward estimates;
allocation of staff to the five workstreams of the SSTP; and
workforce capacity and retention (pp. 4–9).
how the ASC has been affected by COVID-19 (pp. 11–12);
expansion of the Osborne shipyard (pp. 12–14); and
full-cycle docking locations (p. 15).
Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd
2.19
Topics discussed for Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) included:
selection of locations for a new east coast submarine port (p. 16);
lease negotiations with the South Australian government
(pp. 16, 19 & 26–27);
implications of submarine building strategies on new submarine port infrastructure and land acquisition (p. 18);
plans for new facilities at Henderson SA and Captain Cook Graving Dock NSW (pp. 20–24 & 26);
specifics about the new large-vessel dry berth infrastructure in WA (p. 27);
updates on staffing levels (p. 27); and
the financial impact of the shutdown of the attack class project (p. 27).
Department of Finance (Outcomes 1 & 2)
2.20
The committee chair, Senator Claire Chandler, Minister Birmingham, and Senator Katy Gallagher all offered their commendations to Ms Rosemary Huxtable PSM, Secretary of the Department of Finance, congratulating her on her long and successful APS career, in light of her upcoming retirement.
2.21
Topics discussed for the Department of Finance (Outcomes 1 & 2) included:
budget savings, decisions taken but not yet announced and the allocation of funding over the forward estimates against funding already provided (or obtained from existing resources) (pp. 30–35);
key economic outcomes following the government’s COVID-19 response (pp. 36–37);
expenditure on current government advertising campaigns, and reviews of campaigns by the Independent Communications Committee (pp. 37–40);
appropriate conduct during caretaker period (pp. 40–42); and
data and measurement of total government expenses (pp. 43–45).
Future Fund Management Agency
2.22
Chief Executive Officer of the Future Fund Management Agency (FFMA),
Dr Raphael Arndt, made an opening statement updating the committee on the effect of recent significant global events on the status of the Commonwealth's investment funds.
2.23
Topics discussed for the FFMA included:
effect of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and global sanctions on FFMA investments (p. 46);
consultation regarding an amendment proposed by the Investment Funds Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 (p. 47);
the FFMA’s response to US executive order 13959 regarding investments in the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (pp. 47–48);
performance figures and release of upcoming updates (p. 48); and
diversification of the FFMA’s investment portfolio to address global economic shocks (p. 48).
Department of Finance (Outcome 3)
2.24
Topics discussed for the Department of Finance (Outcome 3) included:
advice the department provided to the PMO in relation to a review undertaken by the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Dr John Kunkel (p. 49);
timeline of entitlements payments to non-returning members (p. 50);
the Special Minister of State’s additional ministerial office (pp. 51–52);
the department’s role in the review of the MoPS Act (pp. 52–53);
staffing, funding, and the department’s role in developing and delivering the Office for Parliamentary Standards and Culture and other recommendations from the Jenkins review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (p. 53);
investigation into the Hon Michael Sukkar MP and the Hon Kevin Andrews MP and their use of commonwealth funds (pp. 56–57); and
expenditure and timeline of completion of the upgrades to the Parliamentary Expenses Management System (pp. 57–58).
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority
2.25
Topics discussed for the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority included:
Mr Andrew Laming MP's use of commonwealth funds for travel purposes and the subsequent audit on this usage (pp. 58–59).
Australian Electoral Commission
2.26
Topics discussed for the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) included:
outcomes of the AEC's February 2021 compliance review, and distinctions between loans and donations (pp. 59–60);
donations to registered significant third parties (pp. 61–62);
issue of multiple voting and voter fraud (pp. 62–63);
electoral roll auditing (p. 63);
lessons learnt from the recent SA election for managing voting waiting times (p. 64);
public education campaigns that encourage people to vote in a COVID-safe environment (p. 64);
managing the volume of postal votes (p. 65);
stress testing of the AEC website to ensure ongoing capacity with high traffic (p. 65);
impact of recent South Queensland and North NSW floods on regional polling booths (pp. 65–66 & 70–71);
the logistics of secure telephone voting (pp. 66–67); and
deregistration of the Liberal Democrat party (pp. 68–69).
Cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters – Friday 8 April 2022
National Indigenous Australians Agency
2.27
Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), Ms Jody Broun made an opening statement that provided an update on some of the agency’s recent major accomplishments.
2.28
Topics discussed for the NIAA included:
outcomes of the Indigenous Voice Co-design Final Report to the Australian Government and the establishment of Local and Regional Voices (pp. 7–9);
funding allocation for various programs and services within the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (pp. 10–11);
funding and application processes for regional infrastructure and facilities (p. 12);
Remote Engagement Program extension measures including trial sites and co-design processes (pp. 12–13);
funding allocation for strengthening the governance of prescribed bodies corporate (p. 15);
NIAA support as required for voting enrolment with remote communities; (p. 15); and
updates on the McDonald vs Commonwealth Class Action (p. 16).
Department of Health
2.29
Officials from the Department of Health joined officials from the NIAA to discuss Indigenous health issues. Topics discussed included:
Application of the Biosecurity Act 2015 to implement restrictions on remote communities and Commonwealth biosecurity determinations in WA since 2020 (pp. 16–17).
Agencies released from the hearing
2.30
The following agencies were released from the hearing: Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation; Aboriginal Hostels Limited; Central Land Council; Northern Land Council; Outback Stores Pty Ltd; and Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.
Senator Claire Chandler
Chair