Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Section 56 of the bill goes to the question of delegation. The delegations are limited to the secretary of the department or a person who holds or performs the duties of an SES in the department, but the minister is not able to delegate any of the minister's powers or functions under the parts of the bill which deal with negotiating and entering core foreign relations; or, in relation to part 4, a core foreign arrangement; or section 54, which is part of the legislation which deals with making the rules. A delegate, in exercising any powers or performing any functions under the delegations, must comply with any directions of the minister. That's section 56 of the legislation, which is very clear about the delegations.