Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, upon notice, on 22 September 2011:

(1)   In regard to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC):

  (a)   what is the total expenditure for the ACCC for the 2011-12 financial years and over the forward estimates;

  (b)   how much expenditure has the ACCC spent in the 2010-11 financial years on:

     (i)   advertising,

     (ii)   travel (include a breakdown: business, economy, domestic, international),

     (iii)   hospitality and entertainment,

     (iv)   information and communication technology,

     (v)   consultancy,

     (vi)   education/staff training,

     (vii)   external accounting,

     (viii)   external auditing,

     (ix)   external legal, and

     (x)   memberships of grants paid to affiliate organisations;

  (c)   how many staff does the ACCC employ at the following levels:

     (i)   senior executive service ACCC/AER members;

     (ii)   EL2;

     (iii)   EL1;

     (iv)   APS 6;

     (v)   APS 5;

     (vi)   APS 4;

     (vii)   APS 3;

     (viii)   APS 2;

     (ix)   APS 1; and

     (x)   Graduate;

  (d)   For each of the following ACCC building locations:

     (i)   23 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra;

     (ii)   Level 7, Angel Place, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney;

     (iii)   Level 35, The Tower, 360 Elisabeth Street, Melbourne;

     (iv)   Level 24, 400 George Street, Brisbane;

     (v)   Level 6, Central Plaza, 370 Flinders Mall, Townsville;

     (vi)   Third Floor, East Point Plaza, 233 Adelaide Terrace, Perth;

     (vii)   Level 2, ANZ House, 19 Grenfell Street, Adelaide;

     (viii)   Level 8, National Mutual Centre, 9-11 Cavanagh Street, Darwin; and

     (x)   Third floor, AMP Building, 89 Collins Street, Hobart,

     please specify:

        (A)   how many staff are employed at each location,

        (B)   what is the size of the ACCC office footprint in square metres,

        (C)   is the office leased or owned: (1) if leased, what is the rate per square metre, when will the rental lease expire, and how long is the lease agreement or (2) if owned, what is the value and the depreciation of each of the buildings owned.

(2)   In regard to the Product Australia website:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred providing and servicing this website; and

  (b)   how many ACCC and/or contracted staff administer the website.

(3)   In regard to SCAMWatch:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred providing and servicing this website; and

  (b)   how many ACCC and/or contracted staff administer the website.

(4)   In regard to Product Recalls Australia:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred providing and servicing this website; and

  (b)   how many ACCC and/or contracted staff administer the website.

(5)   In regard to Infocentre:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred providing and servicing the Infocentre;

  (b)   how many calls has the Infocentre received in the following financial years:

  (a)   2007-08,

  (b)   2008-09,

  (c)   2009-10, and

  (d)   2010-2011;

  (c)   how many ACCC and/or contracted staff administer the Infocentre Website; and

  (d)   where are these staff located.

(6)   In regard to Australian Consumer Law (ACL) Awareness and Compliance:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and budgeted for in the forward estimates for ACL Awareness and Compliance;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(7)   In regard to ACL Enforcement of Consumer Protection:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and in the forward estimates for the ACL Enforcement of Consumer Protection;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(8)   In regard to Australian Energy Regulator New Consumer Protection:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and budgeted for in the forward estimates for the Australian Energy Regulator New Consumer Protection;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(9)   In regard to the Petrol Commissioner:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and budgeted for in the forward estimates for the Petrol Commissioner;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(10)   In regard to National Broadband, Regulatory framework:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and budgeted for in the forward estimates for the National Broadband, Regulatory framework;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(11)   In regard to Water for the Future, Driving Reform in the Murray Darling:

  (a)   what expenditure is incurred this year and budgeted for in the forward estimates for the Water for the Future, Driving Reform in the Murray Darling;

  (b)   how many ACCC staff members are involved administering this measure; and

  (c)   where are these staff located.

(12)    For each of the following programs/initiatives:

  (a)   Product Australia Website, SCAMWatch,

  (b)   Product Recalls Australia, Infocentre,

  (c)   ACL Awareness and Compliance,

  (d)   ACL Enforcement of Consumer Protection,

  (e)   Australian Energy Regulator New Consumer Protection,

  (f)   Water for the Future,

  (g)   Driving Reform in the Murray Darling,

  (h)   National Broadband, Regulatory framework, and

     (i)   Petrol Commissioner:

     (i)   what was the advertising expenditure in the 2010-11 financial year,

     (ii)   what was the travel expenditure in the 2010-11 financial year,

     (iii)   what was the hospitality and entertainment expenditure in the 2010-11 financial year, and

     (iv)   how much was spent on:

        (A)   consultancy,

        (B)   education and training to staff,

        (C)   external auditing,

        (D)   external accounting,

        (E)   external legal, and

        (F)   membership or grants paid to affiliate organisations.

(13)   How much did the ACCC spend on external legal services in the following financial years:

  (a)   2006-07

  (b)   2007-08

  (c)   2008-09

  (d)   2009-10

  (e)   2010-11

(14)   How much has the ACCC budgeted to spend on external legal services for the 2011-12 financial year

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

The Treasurer has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

1 (a) 2011-12: $155.318m : 2012-13: $153.762m budget; 2013-14: $150.231m budget;

     2014-15: $148.662m budget

1 (b)(i) $178,810

      (ii) business class within Australia $907,832

economy class within Australia $1,067,783

first class international $4,077

business class international $265,473

economy class international $89,485

      (iii) $9,363 in hospitality to visitors including delegations and committees

      (iv) $10,750,194 operating and capital (excluding depreciation charges)

      (v) $4,654,314

      (vi) $3,680,911

      (vii) nil

      (viii) $71,000 ANAO external audit

      (ix) $25,348,014

      (x) $21,000 OECD Product safety working group

1 (c)

1 (d) (A)

(1) (d) (B) & (C) detailed at Attachment A (Available from the Senate Table Office).

(2) (a) & (b) The website is not separately budgeted nor costed. It forms part of the wider ACCC online support arrangements undertaken by several areas in the ACCC.

(3) (a) & (b) The website is not separately budgeted nor costed. It forms part of the wider ACCC online support arrangements undertaken by several areas in the ACCC.

(4) (a) & (b) The website is not separately budgeted nor costed. It forms part of the wider ACCC online support arrangements undertaken by several areas in the ACCC.

(5) (a)    Infocentre costs form part of the Intelligence, Infocentre and Policy Liaison Branch and are not separately budgeted.

(5) (b)   (a)   78,720 calls (excludes internet and other contacts)

  (b)   96,118 calls (excludes internet and other contacts)

  (c)   105,438 calls (excludes internet and other contacts)

  (d)   143,307 calls (excludes internet and other contacts)

(5) (c)   The Infocentre does not have a dedicated website nor a role in administering the ACCC website, other than responding to emails received.

(5) (d)   Infocentre staff are located in Canberra

(6) (a) Expenditure budgeted for in 2011-12 for awareness is $1.600m with no further expenditure in forward estimates (as per NPP)

(6) (b) 4.0 FTE (as per NPP)

(6) (c) Canberra

(7) (a) As per NPP

2011-12: $1.100m

   2012-13: $1.101m

   2013-14: $1.101m

   2014-15: $1.101m

(7) (b) 9.0 FTE (as per NPP)

(7) (c) Canberra

(8) (a) As per NPP

2011-12: $5.419m

  2012-13: $5.387m

  2013-14: $4.162m

  2014-15: $3.584m

(8) (b) 29.0 FTE (as per NPP)

(8) (c) Melbourne/Canberra/Adelaide

(9) (a) As per Fuel Monitoring and Petrol Commissioner NPP

   2011-12: $3.082m

   2012-13: $1.000m

(9) (b) 18.0 FTE

(9) (c) Melbourne

(10) (a) As per NPP

2011-12: $1.653m

   2012-13: $1.662m

   2013-14: $1.266m

   2014-15: $0.994m

(10) (b) 7.0 FTE

(10) (c) Melbourne

(11) (a) As per NPP

2011-12: $1.729m

   2012-13: $1.742m

(11) (b) 9.0 FTE

(11) (c) Melbourne

(12) (a) (i) – (iv) (B) The website is not separately budgeted nor costed. It forms part of the wider ACCC online support arrangements undertaken by several areas in the ACCC.

(12) (a) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(12) (b) (i) – (iii) The website and Infocentre are not separately budgeted nor costed. The former forms part of the wider ACCC online support arrangements undertaken by several areas in the ACCC, and the latter is a component of the Intelligence, Infocentre and Policy Liaison Branch.

(12) (b) (iv) (A) $33,548

(12) (b) (iv) (B) Not costed separately

(12) (b) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(12) (c) The ACL Awareness program NPP was not in operation in 2010-11

(12) (d) (i) – (iv) (B) This measure forms part of the wider Enforcement function and is not separately costed.

(12) (d) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(12) (e) The AER New Consumer Protection NPP was not in operation in 2010-11

(12) (f) (i) – (iv) (B) This measure forms part of the Water Branch function and is not separately costed.

(12) (f) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(12) (g) (i) – (iv) (B) This measure forms part of the Water Branch function and is not separately costed.

(12) (g) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(12) (h) The National Broadband Regulatory Framework NPP was not in operation in 2010-11.

(12) (f) This measure includes Fuel Branch function and Petrol Commissioner so costs are aggregated:

(12) (f) (i) $Nil

(12) (f) (ii) $67,556

(12) (f) (iii) Not costed separately.

(12) (f) (iv) (A) $15,225

(12) (f) (iv) (B) $33,345

(12) (f) (iv) (C) – (F) $Nil

(13)   (a)   2006-07—$16,442,976

  (b)   2007-08—$20,681,967

  (c)   2008-09—$19,792,333

  (d)   2009-10—$20,889,982

  (e)   2010-11—$25,348,014

(14)   Budget funding $22,593,000