Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Minister representing the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth and Minister representing the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and the Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development and the Minister for Sport, upon notice, on 29 November 2010:

Since 14 September 2010:

(1) Do the Minister and Parliamentary Secretaries have access to a departmental credit card; if so, can a copy be provided of all bank statements.

(2) (a) How many mobile devices are provided to the Minister's office; and (b) what is the total spend on mobile devices for each office to date.

(3) At what level is each staff member employed in the office.

(4) What has been the total cost of travel for the Minister and Parliamentary Secretaries.

(5) What has been the total travel for all staff, by office.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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

(1) The Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary are not issued with departmental credit cards.

(2) (a) The following mobile devices have been assigned to the Minister and ministerial staff since 14 September 2010:

Ministerial Office   Mobile phones, blackberries and data cards

* Mobile devices provided by the Department of Finance and Deregulation

** Mobile devices provided prior to 14 September 2010

# The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has not issued any mobile phones, blackberries and data cards

(b) Total spend on mobile devices for each office as per the Telstra and Optus billing period between September and November 2010 is as follows:

(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 F&PA 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, with the exception of those costs listed below, 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.

The total cost of short-term transport (e.g. hire cars, taxis) since between September and November 2010 was:

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