Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 16 August 2011:

With reference to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs:

(1) Can details be provided of the total hospitality spend for the 2010-11 financial year for each Minister and Parliamentary Secretary office that falls under that department, including for each event: (a) the date; (b) the location; (c) the purpose of the event; (d) its cost; and (e) in relation to any catering costs, an itemised list including the cost of food, beverages and alcohol.

(2) In regard to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and the Minister for the Status of Women: (a) what was the cost of each Minister's travel and expenses for the Community Cabinet meetings during the 2010-11 financial year; (b) how many ministerial staff accompanied the Ministers and what was the total cost of their travel; (c) how many department officers accompanied the Ministers and what was the total cost of their travel; and (d) can the total cost of travel and expenses also be itemised as per the cost to that department and the cost to the Ministers' offices.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) to (e) Hospitality for Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries offices is paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that they did not fund any hospitality related expenses for any Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries falling under the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio in the 2010-11 financial year.

(2) (a) Travel expenses for Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Ministerial staff are paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that the cost of Community Cabinet travel and expenses for the Minister for Families, Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the 2010-11 financial year was $5,192.90.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that the cost of Community Cabinet travel and expenses for the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and Minister for the Status of Women in the 2010-11 financial year was $304.59.

  (b) The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that two Ministerial staff accompanied the Minister to the Redcliffe Peninsula Community Cabinet meeting on 2 December 2010 at a cost of $1,684.36.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that two Ministerial staff accompanied the Minister to the Fremantle Community Cabinet meeting on 30 March 2011 at a cost of $3,491.67.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that three Ministerial staff accompanied the Minister to the Modbury Heights Community Cabinet meeting on 19 May 2011 at a cost of $2,728.90.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has advised that three Ministerial staff accompanied the Minister to the Palmerston Community Cabinet meeting on 29 June 2011 at a cost of $3,360.36.

  (c) Two departmental staff accompanied the Minister to the Redcliffe Peninsula Community Cabinet meeting on 2 December 2011 at a cost of $1,338.01.

Three departmental staff accompanied the Minister to the Fremantle Community Cabinet meeting on 30 March 2011 at a cost of $6,050.04.

Two departmental staff accompanied the Minister to the Modbury Heights Community Cabinet meeting on 19 May 2011 at no cost.

Four departmental staff accompanied the Minister to the Palmerston Community Cabinet meeting on 29 June 2011 at a cost of $2,985.18.

  (d) The total cost of travel and expenses to the Department was $10,373.23. The total cost of travel and expenses to the Ministers' offices was $16,762.78.

Note 1: The information above relies on an assumption that all travel to and from relevant locations immediately before and after the relevant Cabinet meetings was for the purposes of attending the Cabinet meetings.

Note 2: The above figures include airfares and travelling allowance (including motor vehicle allowance) claims. They do not include travel by taxis (due to the difficulties determining exact destinations using the electronic information as provided by Cabcharge), COMCAR (which is charged directly to portfolio agencies) or travel on Special Purpose Aircraft (which is administered by the Department of Defence).

Note 3: Costs are GST Exclusive.