Chapter 1Overview
1.1On 5 February 2026, the Senate referred the following to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026 [Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025–2026].
Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026 [Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025–2026].
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026 [Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025–2026].
1.2A reporting date of 31 March 2026 was set for the committee to report to the Senate on its consideration of Additional Estimates 2025–26.
1.3In accordance with a resolution of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the committee has responsibility for examining the expenditure and outcomes of the following departments and agencies:
Parliamentary Departments portfolio;
Prime Minister and Cabinet (PMC) portfolio; and
Finance portfolio.
1.4Departments and agencies under the committee's oversight are listed in Appendix 1 of this report.
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2025–26
1.5The Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (PAES) 2025–26 for the PMC portfolio, the Finance portfolio and the Parliamentary departments were tabled in the Senate on 5 February 2026.
Public hearings
1.6In accordance with a resolution of the Senate, the committee held public hearings for Additional Estimates 2025–26 on the following dates:
Monday, 9 February 2026—Parliamentary Departments, PMC portfolio, and Finance portfolio; and
Tuesday, 10 February 2025—PMC portfolio and Finance portfolio.
1.7The committee heard evidence from Senator the Hon Sue Lines, President of the Senate, and the following Ministers:
Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Special Minister of State;
Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Government Services;
Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians; and
Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
1.8The committee called the following departments and agencies to appear:
Parliamentary departments
Department of the Senate
Parliamentary Budget Office
Department of Parliamentary Services
Parliamentary Service Commissioner
Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Anindilyakwa Land Council
Australian National Audit Office
Australian Public Service Commission
Central Land Council
Indigenous Business Australia
Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
National Indigenous Australians Agency
Northern Land Council
Office of National Intelligence
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations
Tiwi Land Council
Workplace Gender Equality Agency
Finance portfolio
Department of Finance
ASC Pty Ltd
Australian Electoral Commission
Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd
CEA Technologies Pty Ltd
Digital Transformation Agency
Future Fund Management Agency
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority
Parliamentary Workplace Support Service
Services Australia
1.9Documents tabled during the hearings are listed in Appendix 2.
1.10Documents received as additional information are listed in Appendix 3.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.11The committee has set Friday, 10 April 2026 as the return date for answers to questions on notice arising from the Additional Estimates 2025–26 hearings.
1.12Answers to questions on notice are published on the committee's estimates webpage as they are received, along with the Hansard transcripts of the proceedings of the hearings.
Timeliness of Answers to Questions on Notice
1.13For the December hearings of Supplementary Budget Estimates 2025–26, the committee set Thursday, 29 January 2026 as the due date for the return of answers to questions on notice.
1.14The committee welcomed the timely provision of most answers to questions on notice for the Parliamentary Departments portfolio and the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.
1.15However, the committee is concerned that 104 questions on notice asked of the Finance portfolio, are still unanswered at the time of tabling of this report.
1.16The committee encourages submission of answers to questions on notice by the due date. The timely provision of answers aids in the committee's efforts to examine the operations of departments and agencies.
Note on References
1.17References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard, and so page numbers may vary between the proof and official Hansard transcripts.
Record of proceedings
1.18This report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during the hearings. Instead, it provides a summary of some of the key issues that were examined by the committee for each portfolio.