Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

These amendments that the member for Indi has put forward deal with budget matters, and I again thank the member for Indi for her amendments and for her constructive engagement on this legislation. The government has committed substantial funding of $262 million over four years for the establishment and ongoing operation of the commission. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Commission will have the function of reviewing the commission's budget and finances and reporting to the parliament on whether the commission's resources are sufficient to effectively perform its functions and whether the budget should be increased. The parliamentary joint committee will be able to review the commission's budget at any time, and the commission will be subject to the usual budget estimates process three times each year. The parliamentary joint committee will also be able to request advice from the commission on its budget requirements for future years.

These arrangements will provide robust, powerful parliamentary oversight of the commission's budget. At some point you have to rely on the ability of the processes of this parliament, like establishing parliamentary oversight committees and having Senate estimates, and the effect that those processes can potentially have to impose political pressure by bringing this to public attention. The government's view is that the further amendments that the member for Indi is proposing would not meaningfully enhance the committee's role, and it doesn't support these amendments.

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