Chapter 2


Issues

2.1        This chapter lists the key issues raised for each department, agency and government business enterprise examined during the committee's hearings on the Additional Estimates 2017–18. Page numbers to the proof Hansard are indicated in brackets.

Parliament Portfolio, 26 February 2018

Department of the Senate

  • Recent work on a Parliament House suite to improve accessibility (p. 3)
  • Work of the department to improve accessibility to Senate business documents (pp. 4–5)

Parliamentary Budget Office

  • Discussion of Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) publication: Disability Support Pension–Historical and projected trends and PBO Information Paper: PBO costing process, timeframes and prioritisation framework in relation to expenditure forecasts (pp. 5–9)
  • Discussion of the PBO's Post-election report 2016 and the incorporation of proposed company tax cuts into the PBO's medium-term forecast projections (pp. 9–11)

Department of Parliamentary Services

  • Issues with the operation of bollards at Australian Parliament House (APH) and damage to COMCARs and other vehicles as a result (pp. 12–16)
  • Assessment of department's paper procurement (pp. 16–17)
  • Overview and timelines of APH security and building works projects (pp. 17–19)
  • Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) payroll operating system and recommendations of KPMG audit report (pp. 20–22)
  • Investigation of a 'powder-out-of-place' incident by DPS (pp. 22–24)
  • Plans to improve mobile phone reception in APH (pp. 24–25)

Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio, 26 and 27 February 2018

 Australian Public Service Commission

  • Review of response to prior questions on notice 30 and 31, Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio from Supplementary Estimates 2017–18 regarding seeking information about the Australian Public Service Commissioner's phone contact with members of the Institute of Public Affairs (pp. 28–36)
  • Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) bargaining policy 2018 and application of the enterprise agreement (pp. 36–39)

Office for Women

  • Process for handling claims of sexual harassment in the workplace (pp. 39–41)
  • Proposal by Women with Disabilities Australia on a collaboration between the National Women's Alliances' and the disability sector (pp. 41–42)
  • Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between APSC and the Office for Women in relation to proposed projects (pp. 42–43)
  • Clarification of payments made under the Women's Leadership and Development Strategy Grants (pp. 44–45)

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

  • Changes in executive staffing in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DMP&C) (p. 45, 130–131)
  • Application and enforcement of the Statement of Ministerial Standards and staffing allocation decisions (pp. 46–48, 83)
  • Application of the Statement of Ministerial Standards to the former Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP (pp. 46–49, 54–55)
  • Audit by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority of former Deputy Prime Minister's travel and related expenses (pp. 59–60)
  • Scope and content of the Coalition Agreement (pp. 48–51)
  • Advice sought by the Prime Minister, Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, from Dr Martin Parkinson, Secretary, DPM&C regarding compliance of the Statement of Ministerial Standards by the former Deputy Prime Minister (pp. 51–52)
  • Extent of the Prime Minister's and the Prime Minister's Office's knowledge of the relationship between the former Deputy Prime Minister and previous staffer (p. 56; pp. 61–66)
  • Advice to the Prime Minister and the DPM&C in relation to meetings between the High Commissioner to the UK and a foreign policy advisor to the Trump Campaign (p. 59)
  • Ministerial staffing arrangements and the operation of the Government Staffing Committee (pp. 67–73, 77–80)
  • Proposals for Australia to legislate for a living wage (pp. 74–76)
  • Discussion on the responsibility for, and implementation of, Statement of Standards for Ministerial Staff (pp. 84–85)
  • Disclosure of land interests by the Minister for Small and Family Business (pp. 85–86; p. 88)
  • Discussion of the inquiry conducted by Dr Martin Parkinson into the conduct of the Australian Border Force Commissioner (pp. 86–88)
  • Investigation into the disclosure of classified cabinet documents and subsequent publication of those documents by the ABC (pp. 89–90)
  • Discrepancies of transcript records of the White House and the Prime Minister's Office in relation to the meeting between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States (pp. 90–91)
  • Changes to the Ministry list since September 2015 (p. 91)
  • DPM&C's role in relation to the Open Government National Action Plan (pp. 101–103)
  • Discussion of Religious Freedom Review including the consultation and submission processes, and the selection of the expert panel (pp. 104–111)
  • Remuneration arrangements for the Hon Phillip Ruddock, Chair of the Religious Freedom Review (pp. 111–118)
  • Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) Contamination Taskforce and roll out of national response to affected landholders (pp. 118–121)
  • Update on the internet arrangements at the Prime Minister's residences (pp. 124–125)
  • Potential conflict of interest between the Prime Minister and Mr Scott Briggs, member of a consortium, reported to be tendering for the modernisation of the visa processing system (pp. 125–129)
  • Declassification of cabinet-in-confidence documents (pp. 129–130)
  • Australian National Audit Office report on the Management of the Australian Government's Register of Lobbyists (pp. 131–134)

Digital Transformation Agency

  • Release of the Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF), which sets out the rules and standards for a nationally-consistent approach to a digital identity program (pp. 6–8)
  • Memorandum of understanding with the Australian Institute of International Affairs in relation to the TDIF (p. 8)
  • Facial recognition scheme for the TDIF in relation to accessibility (pp. 9–12)
  • Role, purpose and functions of the Digital Transformation Agency (pp. 15–16)
  • Access and operation of the Digital Marketplace (pp. 17–19)
  • Secure cloud strategy in relation to private and public cloud network (pp. 19–20)
  • Digital Transformation Agency cybersecurity capability (p. 21)

Australian National Audit Office

  • Underreporting of consultant contract costs by federal government agencies (pp. 22–23)
  • Scope and nature of project reporting in the Australian National Audit Office's Major Projects Report (pp. 24–26)
  • Allocation of risk and implications for government when projects are undertaken using a managing contractor model (pp. 26–27)

Office of the Inspector-General

  • Changes to national security legislation in relation to classified documents (pp. 27–28)
  • Implications of delays in security clearance processing for recruitment of staff in the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence Security (p. 28)

Finance Portfolio, 27 February 2018

ASC Pty Ltd

  • Workforce planning and retention (pp. 34–36)
  • Status of negotiations between Lürssen and ASC for the design and build of the Offshore Patrol Vessels (pp. 36–37)
  • ASC's discussions with the Naval Group on a role for ASC in supporting the Future Submarine Project (p. 39)
  • Update on Collins Class submarines' availability and Air Warfare Destroyer  project (pp. 40–41)
  • Tender and planning for the SEA 500 Future Frigate Program (pp. 43–44)

ANI Pty Ltd

  • Application of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules to Government Business Enterprises (p. 44)
  • Progress on the development of Osborne South Shipyards, where Lend Lease has been appointed managing contractor (pp. 45–46)

Department of Finance

General/ Outcome 1
  • Discussion of the Mid–Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2017–18 expense measures since the 2017–18 Budget  (pp. 47–51; 57–60; 66–68)
  • Changes to the Department of Finance internal structure, resource allocation and staffing arrangements (pp. 52–53)
  • Equity and return on investment for the Inland Rail Project (pp. 53–57)
  • Implications of NBN Co's decision to temporarily cease the HFC rollout on the rate of return for the National Broadband Network (pp. 62–64)
  • Roll out and final costs for the Central Budget Management System (pp. 64–65)
Outcome 2
  • Reporting of consultant contracts on AusTender (pp. 68–70)
  • Workforce staffing caps across the public sector and use of consultant contracts (pp. 71–74)
  • Discussion of consortium arrangements in relation to the development of the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal (pp. 75–79)
  • Whole-of-Government paper procurement arrangements (pp. 80–81)
Outcome 3
  • Clarification of insurance arrangements for COMCAR damage as a result of  bollard operations at APH (p. 82)
  • Staffing arrangements and allocations for cross-bench Senators (pp. 83–88)
  • Review of response to prior question on notice 36, Finance Portfolio, Supplementary Estimates 2017–18 and grounds for refusing to provide information to Senate Committees (pp. 90–92)
  • Leave entitlements for staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoPS Act) (pp. 92–95)
  • Review of the Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy for MoPS Act staff (pp. 95–96)
  • Training for Senators and Members on influencing behaviour for a safe workplace (pp. 97–99)
  • Involvement of the Department of Finance in the process of appointing staff to Government Members' and Senators' offices (pp. 100–105)

Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority

  • Staffing and recruitment in the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) (pp. 107–109)
  • IPEA's audit into travel and travel related expenses of the former Deputy Prime Minister (pp. 110–112)

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

  • Ongoing registration of the Jacqui Lambie Network as a political party (p. 113)
  • Powers and legal capacity of the AEC to investigate allegations of false electoral enrolments (pp. 113–114)
  • Current investigation by the AEC into Pauline Hanson's One Nation party in relation to the disclosure of donations (pp. 115–117)
  • Discussion of the Australian National Audit Office report into the AEC's procurement of services for the 2016 Federal Election (pp. 117–119)
  • AEC interpretation of reporting expenditure of the Minerals Council of Australia 2010 campaign (pp. 120–122)
  • Delivery of the Indigenous Electoral Participation Program (pp. 124–126)

Future Fund Management Agency

  • Provision and use of credit cards by officers of the Future Fund Management Agency (p. 127)

Cross Portfolio Indigenous Matters, 2 March 2018

Indigenous Land Corporation

  • Transfer of funding from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Account to the Future Fund Management Agency and the funding and investment arrangements (pp. 5–8)
  • Consultations of the National Indigenous Land Strategy and changes to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act (pp. 9–11)

Indigenous Business Australia

  • Review of the Business Development and Assistance Program with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (p. 14)
  • Review of business loans in remote and rural areas and investment opportunities including the establishment of the Indigenous Impact Fund (pp. 15–17)

Aboriginal Hostels Limited

  • Review of Aboriginal hostel numbers, staffing ratios and protocols (pp. 19–23)

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet- Outcome 2

  • The consultation process of the 'Close the Gap' refresh (pp. 25–26, 33–35)
  • Council of Australian Governments roundtable meeting schedule in relation to 'Closing the Gap' refresh (pp. 28–32)
  • Claims to freehold land in Queensland where land is currently held in a form of 'community title' (p. 36)
  • Definition of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander persons and proof of identity (pp. 38–39)
  • Constitutional recognition and the recommendations of the Referendum Council (pp. 39–43)
  • Update on the implementation of the Community Development Program (CDP) and response to the Senate committee's recommendations (pp. 44–45)
  • Consultation of the Referendum Council and funding arrangements (pp. 46–48)
  • Funding the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (p. 49)
  • Remote indigenous housing and leasing arrangements in Queensland and the Northern Territory and the independent review of the National Partnership on Remote Housing (pp. 50–53)

Department of Health

  • Statistics for syphilis and related deaths in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory and Queensland and funding allocation for community awareness (pp. 54­–55; p. 57)
  • National Partnership Agreement on Rheumatic Fever Strategy and policy intent (pp. 56–57)
  • Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023 and funding allocation (pp. 57–59)
  • Sites of the Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program (p. 59)
  • Employment of Aboriginal health workers (p. 60)
  • Update on suicide prevention trial sites in relation to funding in Western Australia and the Northern Territory (p. 61)
  • Update on the Tackling Indigenous Smoking program (pp. 61–62)

Senator James Paterson
Chair

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