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

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister representing the Minister for Trade, upon notice, on 29 November 2010:

Since 14 September 2010, for each Minister and any Parliamentary Secretaries within their portfolio:

(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.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Trade have 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) The following table sets out the number of mobile devices provided to the offices of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries as at 29 November 2010:

(3)   Questions relating to ministerial staff employed under the MOP (S) Act should be referred to the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

  Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs: as at 29 November 2010 there were three Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO) positions, two occupied by DFAT staff (one at EL1 level and one at APS4 level) and one occupied by AusAID staff (EL1 level).

  Office of the Minister for Trade: as at 29 November 2010 there were two Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO) positions, one occupied by DFAT staff (EL2 level) and one occupied by Austrade staff (EL2 level).

  Office of the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs: as at 29 November 2010 there was one vacant Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO) position.

  Office of the Parliamentary Secretary for Trade: as at 29 November 2010 there was one Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO) position occupied by Austrade staff (EL1 level).

(4)   The Department of Finance and Deregulation (DoFD) is responsible for the payment of domestic and overseas travel costs of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries. For information on these costs please refer to the report Parliamentarians' travel costs paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation which is tabled biannually giving details of dates, purpose of travel, countries of destination and costs of visits.

(5)   The Department of Finance and Deregulation (DoFD) is responsible for the payment of domestic and overseas travel costs of ministerial staff employed under the MOP (S) Act. For information on these costs please refer to the report Parliamentarians' travel costs paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation which is tabled biannually giving details of dates, purpose of travel, countries of destination and costs of visits.

  The total cost and description of travel for staff employed as Departmental Liaison Officers (DLOs) in each office as at 29 November 2010 is as follows: