Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for the Status of Women has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) The Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries do not have access to a departmental credit card.

(2) (a) As at 29 November 2010, there was 1 mobile device provided to Minister Arbib's office. (b) Between 14 September 2010 and 10 December 2010 (the end of the nearest monthly accounting period), the total spend on Minister Arbib's office mobile devices was $335.90 (excluding GST).

(3) The employment of staff under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 is administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. On 19 October 2010, the Department of Finance and Deregulation tabled with the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee, Government Personal Positions as at 1 October 2010.

(4) The costs of official travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and accompanying staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 are largely paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. As such, the information sought will be tabled by the Special Minister of State in the last sitting week of June 2011 in his six-monthly report on Parliamentarians Travel Paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

(5) The Special Minister of State will respond on behalf of other Ministers.