Budget 2010–11: Legal
issues and the Attorney-General’s portfolio
Australian Law Reform Commission—funding
Pauline
Downing
The 2010–11 Budget contains significant budget reductions
for the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).
Its budget will be reduced in 2010–11 by $242 000 with
further reductions of $495 000 per year from 2011–12.[1] The latter reduction
represents a cut of about 20% on 2009–10 levels. These
reductions will require the ALRC to find additional productivity
savings as well as streamline its operations and further develop
its online resources.
In 2009–10 the ALRC conducted three inquiries but is only
expecting to conduct two in this and subsequent years to
2013–14.[2]
There is also an expected reduction in the number of consultation
meetings[3] from 180
in 2009–10 to (an estimated) 100 from 2010–11.
Other law reform bodies have had their funding reduced in this
Budget. The Criminology Research Council has had its revenue
reduced by $148 000 to $448 000[4] and the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC)
has had its revenue reduced by $548 000 to $7.393 million for
201–11.[5] The
ability of the AIC to operate with a reduced budget may be
facilitated by the reduction in the number of staff from 56 in
2009–10 to 46 in 2010–11.[6]
Cuts to these legal bodies have created concerns that
independent advice is not valued by the government.[7]
[1].
Australian Government, Portfolio Budget Statements
2010–11: budget related paper no. 1.2:
Attorney-General’s Portfolio, Commonwealth of Australia,
Canberra, 2010, p. 233, viewed 17 May 2010,
http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(3A6790B96C927794AF1031D9395C5C20)~11+PBS+10_11+ALRC+web+FINAL.pdf/$file/11+PBS+10_11+ALRC+web+FINAL.pdf
[2]. Ibid., p. 234.
[3]. Consultation meetings involve input and
feedback from key stakeholders and the public and may be conducted
using face to face meetings, ‘phone-ins’ or online
feedback.
[4]. Portfolio Budget Statements
2010–11, Attorney-General’s Portfolio, op. cit.,
p. 288.
[5]. Ibid., p. 221.
[6]. Ibid., p. 219.
[7]. J Ayers, ‘Law reform body faces big
budget cuts’, Australian Financial Review, 30 April
2010, p. 41.
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