Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, in writing, on 25 November 2010:

(1) How many

(a) mobile phones,

(b) Blackberries and

(c) iPads are currently allocated to the

(i) Minister, and

(ii) the Minister's ministerial staff.

(2) In respect of mobile phone usage between

(a) 3 December 2007 and 24 November 2010, and

(b) 24 June 2010 and 24 November 2010, what was the total cost for

(a) the Minister, and

(b) the Minister's ministerial staff.

(3) For each month since December 2007, what was the cost of mobile phone usage for each mobile phone account allocated to the

(a) Minister, and

(b) Minister's ministerial staff.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) (i) The following is currently allocated by the Department to the Minister:

(a) mobile phones: 0

(b) Blackberries: 1

(c) iPads: 1

(ii) The following is currently allocated to the Minister's staff:

(a) mobile phones: 0

(b) Blackberries: 5

(c) iPads: 0

(2) (i) In respect of mobile phone usage, the total cost for the Minister between

(a) December 2007 and November 2010, inclusive, was $3,994.07

(b) July 2010 and November 2010, inclusive, was $ 156.03

(ii) In respect of mobile phone usage, the total cost for the Minister's staff between

(a) December 2007 and November 2010, inclusive, was $41,004.59

(b) July 2010 and November 2010, inclusive, was $ 5,010.79.

Note: Total costs are based on usage for the full month in each case.

(3) For each month since December 2007, the cost of mobile phone usage for each mobile phone account allocated to the:

Minister:

* The account for the Minister's phone was not transferred from the Department of Health and Ageing to the Department of Veterans' Affairs until January 2011.

Minister's staff: