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ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2002-03September 2003 © Commonwealth of Australia 2003 |
View the report as a single document - (PDF 127KB)
The Standing Committee on Appropriations and Staffing, appointed under standing order 19, determines the amounts for inclusion in the parliamentary appropriation bills and reports to the Senate on its determinations prior to the Senate’s consideration of those bills.
The committee also examines matters affecting the staffing and administration of the Department of the Senate, including proposals to vary the staffing structure, and other matters referred to it by the Senate. It makes an annual report to the Senate on the operations of the Senate’s appropriations and staffing and related matters (standing order 19(3)). Under a resolution of the Senate agreed to in 1987 the committee also examines proposed changes in the structure and responsibilities of the parliamentary departments.
The committee is chaired by the President and includes the Senate Leaders of the Government and the Opposition as ex officio members.
The President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Paul Calvert(Chairman)
The Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Robert Hill
The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator the Hon. John Faulkner
Senator Lyn Allison
Senator the Hon. Nick Bolkus
Senator the Hon. Ron Boswell
Senator Jeannie Ferris
Senator the Hon. Bill Heffernan
Senator Robert Ray
Richard Pye (to 1 August 2003)
Peter Hallahan (from 4 August 2003)
SG.25
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: 02 6277 3015
Fax: 02 6277 5784
E-mail: approps@aph.gov.au
Internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/app_ctte/index.htm
The committee’s membership at 30 June 2003 is shown above. The former President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Margaret Reid was Chairman until 18 August 2002. Senator Ferris joined the committee on 23 September 2003 , in place of former Senator Herron .
The committee presented four reports to the Senate in 2002-03, as follows:
The committee determines the amounts for inclusion in the parliamentary appropriation bills for the annual and additional appropriations and reports to the Senate on its determinations prior to the Senate’s final consideration of the relevant bill.
As the department did not seek any additional appropriations for 2002-03 it was unnecessary for the committee to report on this matter.
In its 38 th report, the committee determined an amount of $31.586 million for inclusion in the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill 2003-2004: $30.288 million for departmental expenses and $1.298 million for administered expenses.
The figures reflect the cessation of the Capital Use Charge scheme and additional funding under the Citizenship Visits Program. The figures also reflect partial funding of a new policy proposal for enhanced security measures at Parliament House, for which the Government has stipulated the parliamentary departments must find offsetting savings over the three subsequent financial years.
The committee considered proposals arising from the review by the Parliamentary Service Commissioner of aspects of the administration of the Parliament. This review was commissioned in April 2002 by the then President, Senator the Honourable Margaret Reid, and the Speaker, the Honourable Neil Andrew MP.
The review first focused on the administration of security within Parliament House, management and corporate functions across the parliamentary departments, and centralisation of the purchasing of common items. The review team then shifted the focus of the review to the issue of amalgamation.
The Commissioner’s final report was received by the Presiding Officers on 30 September 2002 and tabled in the Senate on 23 October 2002. A number of its recommendations propose changes to the structure and responsibilities of the parliamentary departments, including a proposal for the amalgamation of the three joint parliamentary departments.
The committee considered the matters covered in the review, including consideration of related security matters, at meetings on 13 November, 4 December and 10 December 2002, and on 5 March, 19 March, 14 May and 18 June 2003.
The committee also received briefings from members of the Security Management Board on the enhancement of security measures at Parliament House, and from the Parliamentary Service Commissioner on the costs and savings of the amalgamation proposal.
On 18 November 2002 the committee presented its 37 th report. That report reflected the consideration by the committee of in principle decisions made by the Presiding Officers on security matters following the review by the Parliamentary Service Commissioner. The resolutions contained in that report were endorsed, and the proposals for the reorganisation of the security function in Parliament House approved, by the Senate.
On 23 June 2003 the committee presented its 39 th report. That report reflected the committee’s consideration of the estimated costs and savings of the proposals contained in the review document, in the context of the emergence of significant new costs for the enhancement of security at Parliament House. The committee noted that the Government’s agreement to fund the new policy proposal for enhanced security came with a requirement that offsetting savings be found.
This changed the dynamics of the consideration of the review. The review arose as an assessment of potential administrative and organisational savings measures, which could be returned in the form of enhanced services to senators and members. In the new budget context, it became a search for cuts required by the Government to meet unforeseen costs for the enhancement of security at Parliament House. The committee noted that the Parliament’s increased security needs would require additional funding even if the estimated savings from amalgamation were fully realised, and that the figures in the review relating to amalgamation had not been fully tested.
The President presented to the committee a resolution intended to achieve efficiencies through the adoption of the recommendations of the review relating to the amalgamation of the three joint departments. The committee agreed, without binding any committee member to supporting the proposal, that the resolution proposed by the President be put to the Senate for determination.
In relation to staffing, the committee makes recommendations to the President and may report to the Senate on any matter. Accordingly, t he committee is informed of significant matters relating to the administration of the Department of the Senate.
In February 2003 members of the committee were informed that the President had approved a change to the output structure of the Department of the Senate, aligning the department’s output structure with its organisational structure. It was expected the change would assist in providing more meaningful information on the department’s operations and in streamlining financial data for reporting purposes.
In May 2003 members of the committee were provided with a report on the Senate Department’s achievement of performance, productivity and cost reduction goals, on the basis of which the Clerk approved a pay increase to staff in accordance with the certified agreement.
The agreement is available on the Senate Internet site.
Comments to: web.senate@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 6 September 2006 by the Senate Web Administrator
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