Chapter 1

[1]        Standing Order 25(20)(f) requires the committee to report on annual reports tabled between 1 May and 31 October by the tenth sitting day of the following year, and report on annual reports tabled between 1 November and 3 April by the tenth sitting day after 30 June of that year.

[2]        The Senate, Standing Orders and other orders of the Senate, August 2018, SO 25(20).

[3]        Journals of the Senate, No. 3, 4 July 2019, pp. 83–84.

[4]        By operation of the Administrative Arrangements Order dated 29 May 2019, responsibility for workplace relations, including work health and safety, rehabilitation and compensation functions was moved from the former Department of Jobs and Small Business to the Attorney-General's Department. The Department of Finance issued an instrument on 21 June 2019 which assigned responsibility for the preparation of the 2018-19 annual report and annual performance statements for those functions to the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Further, by virtue of a motion of the Senate dated 4 July 2019, the responsibility for industrial relations was allocated to the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment. As such, matters relating to those functions, including reporting on annual reports, are considered by that committee.

[5]        Department of Finance, Resource Management Guide No. 135, Annual Report for Non-Corporate Commonwealth Entities, May 2019, p. 7, https://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/
files/2019-12/RMG%20135_Annual_reports_for_non-corporates.pdf (accessed 21 January 2020).

[6]        An entity that is legally and financially part of the Commonwealth, and includes departments of state, parliamentary departments, statutory authorities, and listed entities (a body, person, group of persons or organisation that is prescribed by rules made under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act)).

[7]        A body corporate that has a separate legal personality from the Commonwealth, and includes statutory authorities. It can act in its own right exercising certain legal rights such as entering into contracts and owning property.

[8]        A company established by the Commonwealth under the Corporations Act 2001 that is wholly controlled by the Commonwealth.

[9]        For example, some Acts that establish statutory bodies have separate reporting requirements under those Acts. For example, section 17 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 prescribes specific reporting requirements for the Australian Electoral Commission.

[10]      Senate Hansard, 8 December 1987, pp. 2643-45.

[11]      Department of Finance, List of Resource Management Guides, https://www.finance.gov.au/
publications/resource-management-guides (accessed 17 January 2020).

[12]      The report of this review, the Independent review into the operation of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and Rule was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on 19 September 2018.

[13]      Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Annual Reporting) Rules 2019, Explanatory Memorandum, pp. 1–4.

[14]      Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Reporting Executive Remuneration) Rules 2019, Explanatory Memorandum, pp. 1–11.

[15]      Acts Interpretation Act 1901, subsection 34C(3).

[16]      See Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014, sections 17AB, 17BC and 28C.

[17]      Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Tabling Guidelines, June 2019, p. 4.

[18]      The Senate, Standing Orders and other orders of the Senate, August 2018, SO 25(20)(a).

Chapter 2 - Annual reports of departments

[1]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 2.

[2]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 2.

[3]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 2.

[4]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 2.

[5]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 2.

[6]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 3.

[7]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 3.

[8]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 3.

[9]        Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 13.

[10]      Portfolio Budget Statements 2018–19, Attorney-General's Portfolio, pp. 23-27

[11]      Attorney-General's Department Corporate Plan 2018–19, p. 22.

[12]      Attorney-General's Department Corporate Plan 2018–19, p. 22.

[13]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 13.

[14]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 13.

[15]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 13.

[16]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 14.

[17]      See, for example, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee Report on Annual Reports (No. 1 of 2018) and Report on Annual Reports (No. 1 of 2019).

[18]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, pp. 15-16.

[19]      See: Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Report on Annual Reports (No. 1 of 2019), p 3.

[20]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 16.

[21]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 24.

[22]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 26.

[23]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 31.

[24]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2017-18, p. 41.

[25]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 31.

[26]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 50.

[27]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 49.

[28]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 88.

[29]      Attorney-General's Department Annual Report 2018-19, p. 3.

[30]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 9.

[31]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 14.

[32]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 14.

[33]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 14.

[34]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 14.

[35]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 15.

[36]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 20.

[37]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 20.

[38]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 21.

[39]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 21.

[40]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 23.

[41]      See Figure 5 and Table 3, Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, pp. 31-32.

[42]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 31.

[43]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 76.

[44]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 82.

[45]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 82.

[46]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 82.

[47]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 82.

[48]      See: Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Report on Annual Reports (No. 1 of 2018), pp. 8-9; and Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Report on Annual Reports (No. 1 of 2019), p. 9.

[49]      Department of Home Affairs Annual Report 2018-19, p. 181.

Chapter 3 - Annual reports of agencies

[1]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2017-18, p. 3.

[2]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2017-18, p. 4.

[3]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2017-18, p. 5.

[4]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2017-18, p. 5.

[5]        Portfolio Budget Statements 2018–19, Attorney-General's Portfolio, p. 5.

[6]        Effective advice, reporting and services that assist the Australian Government and ASIO's partners to manage security risks and disrupt activities that threaten Australia's security. See Portfolio Budget Statements 2018–19, Attorney-General's Portfolio, p. 121; and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2017-18, p. 32.

[7]        Portfolio Budget Statements 2018–19, Attorney-General's Portfolio, pp. 119-121.

[8]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Corporate Plan 2018–19, pp. 10-13.

[9]        Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 45.

[10]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 45.

[11]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 47.

[12]      See, for example, 'Counter-terrorism' appears as a Target under the PBS (see p. 119), but also appears as a Key Activity in the annual report and the Corporate Plan (see p. 33). Further, performance measures in the Corporate Plan are referred to as performance objectives in the annual report. 

[13]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 61.

[14]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 61.

[15]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 61.

[16]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 119.

[17]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 119.

[18]      Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 130.

[19]      See Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Corporate Plan 2018–19, p. 2; and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Annual Report 2018–19, p. 11.

[20]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 12.

[21]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 12.

[22]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 12.

[23]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 14.

[24]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 29.

[25]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 12.

[26]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 30.

[27]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 37.

[28]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 30.

[29]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 39.

[30]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 31.

[31]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 40.

[32]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 40.

[33]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 46.

[34]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 46.

[35]      Annual Report for the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 2018-19, p. 46.