Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. That is question No. 1. Question No. 2 is: was Mr Oakeshott given an extra staff position after 24 March, which was the date of the state election? Let's take it from the end of that month. Was Mr Oakeshott given an extra position after the state election in New South Wales?

I also note that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is going to increase by another 200 people. Is Ms Lampe, who was the previous chief of staff to the Prime Minister and who was farewelled with great parties in February of this year, yet allegedly remained on the payroll until 3 June this year, counted as one of those 200 people? Indeed, why was she kept on? The reason given was that the Prime Minister's new chief of staff, who had worked for her when she was deputy leader, needed a four-month handover period. Was it, in fact, because she was supposed to end up with the national secretary's job—your old job, I think—but was vetoed and therefore without an income and the poor old taxpayer had to pick up the leeway? Perhaps we could understand whether she is one of those desperately needed 200 people, particularly when I notice that the Department of Human Services is going to lose 1,200 people while we will have 1,100 people on the Prime Minister's staff. It does not seem to be helping her out much, but it is a valiant effort, I suppose.

In that 200 people that she has now got on her staff, could you tell me whether or not the executive service appointment of Mr Henry has any precedent and whether precedent was relied upon? Perhaps in your answer this time you might be able to tell me who prepared the brief for the Governor-General and when we might expect it to be gazetted.

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