Chapter 1 Budget Estimates 2022–23
1.1On 25 October 2022, the Senate referred the following to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023;
particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023;
particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023;
particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023 [Supply Bill (No. 3) 2022–23];
particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023 [Supply Bill (No. 4) 2022–23]; and
particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2023 [Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2022–23].
1.2A reporting date of 29 November 2022 was set for the committee’s report to the Senate on its consideration of budget estimates 2022–23.
1.3The committee has responsibility for examining the expenditure and outcomes of the following departments and agencies:
Parliamentary departments;
Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) portfolio;
Finance portfolio; and
cross-portfolio on Indigenous matters.
1.4Departments and agencies under the committee’s oversight are listed in Appendix 1 of this report.
Portfolio Budget Statements 2022-23
1.5The Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) 2022–23 for the PM&C portfolio, the Finance portfolio and the Parliamentary departments were tabled in the Senate on 25 October 2022.
Public hearings
1.6The committee held public hearings on the following dates as part of Budget Estimates 2022–23 during October and November:
Friday 28 October 2022—PM&C portfolio;
Monday 7 November 2021—PM&C portfolio, Parliamentary departments and the Finance portfolio;
Tuesday 8 November 2022—Finance portfolio;
Friday 11 November 2022—cross-portfolio on Indigenous matters;
Thursday, 24 November 2022—cross-portfolio on Indigenous matters; and
Monday, 12 December 2022—cross-portfolio on Indigenous matters.
1.7The committee took evidence from the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon Sue Lines, and the following ministers accompanied by officers of relevant departments and agencies:
Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women, Minister for Finance, and Minister for the Public Service;
Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade, and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing; and
Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health.
1.8The committee expresses its appreciation for the assistance of the President, ministers, and officers who appeared.
1.9Over the course of the hearings, the committee took evidence from the following departments, agencies, and statutory offices:
PM&C portfolio
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Workplace Gender Equality Agency
Australian National Audit Office
Australian Public Service Commission
Office for Women
Workplace Gender Equality Agency
Parliamentary departments
Department of the Senate
Parliamentary Budget Office
Department of Parliamentary Services
Finance portfolio
Department of Finance
Future Fund Management Agency
ASC Pty Ltd
Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority
Australian Electoral Commission
Cross-portfolio on Indigenous Matters
Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
Aboriginal Hostels Limited
Central Land Council
Northern Land Council
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Indigenous Business Australia
National Indigenous Australians Agency
Office of Township Leasing
Department of Health and Aged Care
Attorney-General’s Department
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
1.10Documents tabled during the hearings are listed in Appendix 2
1.11Documents received as additional information are listed in Appendix 3.
Extension to reporting date
1.12In accordance with procedural order of continuing effect 9B, the committee agreed to continue its examination of the cross-portfolio on Indigenous matters. Dates for the additional public hearings were set for 24 November and 12 December 2022. On 24 November 2022, the Senate agreed to extend the committee’s reporting date to 22 December 2022.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.13The committee set the following dates for the return of answers to questions on notice:
Friday, 16 December 2022 as the date for the return of answers to questions on notice arising from the hearings on 28 October 2022 and 7 and 8 November 2022;
Friday, 23 December 2022 as the date for the return of answers to questions on notice arising from the hearing on 11 November 2022; and
Monday, 16 January 2023 for answers to questions on notice from the hearings on 24 November 2022 and 12 December 2022.
1.14Answers 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.
1.15The committee notes that the following answers remain outstanding for the PM&C portfolio:
134 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Additional Estimates 2021–22;
38 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Supplementary Budget Estimates 2021–22;
29 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Budget Estimates 2021–22;
60 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Additional Estimates 2020–21;
79 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Budget Estimates 2020–21;
six answers to questions on notice outstanding from Additional Estimates 2019–20; and
20 answers to questions on notice outstanding from Supplementary Estimates 2019–20.
1.16The committee acknowledges that the outstanding responses relate to answers not provided by the previous government. However, the committee reiterates the principle that outstanding responses be provided before the next estimates round.