Chapter 1Overview

1.1On 25 March 2025, the Senate referred the following documents to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee (the Committee) for examination and report:

Particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026; and

Particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026.[1]

1.2The Portfolio Budget Statements for 2025–26 for the Defence Portfolio, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio were tabled in the Senate on the same day.[2]

1.3A reporting date of 27 May 2025 was set for the Committee to report on its consideration of the 2025–26 Budget Estimates.[3]

Portfolio coverage

1.4In accordance with the resolution of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the Committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following:

Defence portfolio (including Veterans’ Affairs); and

Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.[4]

Hearings

1.5On 28 November 2025, the Senate agreed that the Budget Estimates 2025–26 hearings for the Committee would occur from Monday, 14 April 2025 to Thursday, 17 April 2025.[5]

1.6On 25 March 2025, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, moved a motion to vary the dates for Budget Estimates hearings for the Committee to Friday, 28 March; Wednesday, 2 April; Wednesday, 3 April; and, if required, Friday, 4 April 2025. The Senate agreed to these varied dates.[6]

1.7On 28 March 2025, the Governor-General issued a proclamation that prorogued the 47th Parliament at 8.29am. The prorogation terminated the scheduled sittings of the estimates hearings. Accordingly, the Committee did not conduct its hearings to examine the particulars of proposed expenditure for either the Defence or Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolios.

Questions on notice

1.8The Committee notes that written questions on notice can be submitted by Senators after prorogation. Estimates questions on notice are regarded as continuing and therefore any outstanding answers should be provided.

1.9In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the Committee informed the departments and their agencies of the agreed deadline of Thursday, 29 May 2025 for responses to questions on notice arising from the 2025–26 Budget Estimates.

1.10For the Defence portfolio, the Committee received 14 written questions to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. These questions remain outstanding at the time of tabling.

1.11The Committee did not receive any questions on notice for the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.

Senator Raff Ciccone

Chair

Footnotes

[1]Journals of the Senate, No. 154, 25 March 2025, p. 5001.

[2]Journals of the Senate, No. 154, 25 March 2025, p. 5002.

[3]Journals of the Senate, No. 146, 28 November 2024, p. 4497.

[4]Journals of the Senate, No 3, 4 July 2019, pp. 83–84. This resolution was subsequently amended on 13 February 2020 and 12 May 2021; however, the amendments did not relate to these portfolios. See Journals of the Senate, No 4, 13 February 2020, pp. 1268–69 and Journals of the Senate, No 98, 12 May 2021, p. 3445.

[5]Journals of the Senate, No. 146, 28 November 2024, p. 4496.

[6]Journals of the Senate, No. 154, 25 March 2025, p. 4983.