Access to information on the administration of Parliament

The Parliament has amended the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 to confirm the intention of Parliament that all parliamentary departments are excluded from the application of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). The effect of the amending legislation is that from Friday 28 June 2013 the FOI Act is taken not to apply and not to have ever applied to the parliamentary departments and persons who hold, or perform duties of, an office established under the Parliamentary Service Act.

The Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate and the Department of Parliamentary Services are excluded from the application of the FOI Act, under s. 68A of the Parliamentary Service Act.

The Parliamentary Budget Office is exempt from the application of the FOI Act, under s. 7(1) and Division 1 of Part I of Schedule 2 of the FOI Act.

Information for the parliamentary departments is available through the website:

• Department of the Senate
• Department of the House of Representatives
• Department of Parliamentary Services

Disclosure logs

Disclosure logs for the three departments from 9.5.2012 to 28.6.2013 are now closed:

• Department of the Senate
• Department of the House of Representatives
• Department of Parliamentary Services

The Department of Finance and Deregulation (which is part of government) administers a number of parliamentary entitlements and provides services to members of parliament and their staff, see http://www.finance.gov.au/

The Remuneration Tribunal (which is an independent government authority) makes determinations in relation to members of parliament, including ministers, concerning salary or other allowances and matters that are significantly related, see http://www.remtribunal.gov.au/.