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

asked the Minister for Social Inclusion and the Minister for Human Services, in writing, on 3 March 2011:

(1) How many personal staff are employed by the Minister.

(2) What is the (a) total cost, and (b) breakdown of costs, of all capital works and acquisitions in the Minister’s private office since 3 December 2007.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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

(1) The employment of staff under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 is administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation (DoFD). On 22 February 2011, DoFD tabled with the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee a list of Government Personal Staff Positions as at 1 February 2011.

(2) The cost of capital works and acquisitions for Ministers’ offices is shared by the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), DoFD and home departments. The Special Minister of State will accordingly respond on behalf of all Ministers in respect of costs incurred by DPS and DoFD.

Since my appointment as Minister for Human Services and Social Inclusion on 14 September 2010, I am advised that the total cost of acquisitions in my office incurred by the Department of Human Services to 3 March 2011 is $9,337.41. A breakdown is as follows: