Introduction

• The Standing Committee on Appropriations, Staffing and Security is appointed under Senate Standing Order 19. The committee inquires into:
• proposals for the annual estimates and the additional estimates for the Senate;¹
• proposals to vary the staff structure of the Senate, and staffing and recruitment policies;²
• the administration, operation and funding of security measures affecting the Senate, and advises the President and the Senate as appropriate;³
• proposed changes in the structure and responsibilities of the parliamentary departments;⁴
• the administration and funding of information and communications technology services for the Parliament;⁵ and
• other matters as are referred by the Senate.
• The committee makes this annual report to the Senate in accordance with Standing Order 19(3)(c).
• The committee is chaired by the President of the Senate and includes the Deputy President and eight other senators. The Senate Leaders of the Government and the Opposition are ex officio members.⁶

Committee membership

• During the 2022-23 financial year, the following senators were committee members:
• President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Slade Brockman (Chair) (to
  25 July 2022)
• President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Sue Lines (Chair) (from
  26 July 2022)
• Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC
• Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator the Hon Penny Wong)
• Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham)
• Senator Raff Ciccone (appointed 28 July 2022)
• Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister (appointed 28 July 2022)
• Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie (appointed 1 August 2022)
• Senator the Hon Anne Ruston (appointed 1 August 2022)
• Senator Marielle Smith (appointed 28 July 2022)

Committee activities

• During the reporting period, the committee met on four occasions and tabled three reports:
• Annual Report 2021-22 (tabled on 13 October 2022);
• 65th Report: Estimates for the Department of the Senate 2022-23 (tabled on 27 October 2022); and
• 66th Report: Estimates for the Department of the Senate 2023-24 (tabled on 11 May 2023).

Estimates for the Senate department

• The committee received and noted quarterly updates on the financial position of the Department of the Senate throughout the year as well as the annual report of the department's Audit Committee.

Security and information technology

• At each meeting of the committee the Chair updated the committee on matters pertaining to security, information technology and building works relevant to the Senate and senators. In particular, the committee reviewed quarterly reports on the use of the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system and Electronic Access Control System (EACS), the Department of the Senate's quarterly financial statements and amendments to associated policies and arrangements. In addition, the committee considered the following:

28 September 2022, the committee:

• approved the draft of the committee's 2021-22 annual report; and
• noted funding pressures on the department's budgets, including additional select committees and the increasing cost of travel, and the likelihood that supplementation would be sought.
• 1 December 2022, the committee:
• discussed APH computer network access for staff in senators' offices;
• noted a letter regarding on-going additional funding for the department's 2023-24 budget;
• discussed the Parliament Library opening hours and after-hours availability; and
• discussed the operation of elements of Parliament House's security infrastructure.

28 March 2023, the committee:

• supported the department's request for additional funding in the 2023-24 budget.
• 15 June 2023, the committee:
• discussed the after-hours access reporting trial.

Senator the Hon Sue Lines
Chair

¹ Standing Order (S.O.) 19(2)(a).
² S.O. 19(2)(b).
³ Journals of the Senate, No 89, 25 March 2015, pp. 2412-13, S.O. 19(3)(d).
⁴ Journals of the Senate, No 200, 3 June 1987, p. 1951.
⁵ S.O. 19(3)(e).
⁶ S.O. 19(4).