Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the new Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator McKenzie. How many discretionary grant programs is the minister responsible for in her new roles of Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience and Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the senator for his interest in how our government is supporting those communities right throughout rural and regional Australia recover from natural disasters, respond to what is—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, on a point of order?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Mr President. It was a very simple straightforward question: how many discretionary grant programs is the minister responsible for?

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have reminded the minister of the question. I will take the opportunity that, while I won't judge direct relevance in 15 seconds when the minister is introducing her answer, I will remind the minister it was a very factual question and doesn't provide much room for commentary in order to be directly relevant. Senator McKenzie.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Senator Farrell—through you, Mr President—I was absolutely going to outline all the grant programs that our government is very proud to be able deliver to the communities who've been affected by flood, by bushfire—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, I have Senator Farrell on a point of order.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate that this is the first time the minister has had to answer questions since her coming back to the position—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Farrell. I ask you to come to the point of order.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

but I don't want to know all of the programs that the government has in the grant area. I want to know how many this minister is responsible for.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, I do allow flexibility in making a point on direct relevance, but I do ask that senators draw it to that. Senator McKenzie, this was a factual question asking about programs, not rationale or commentary around the programs. The minister's entitled to list programs and be directly relevant or answer in a form that Senator Farrell would seek, but it's not a place for commentary around programs.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I will go through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements—the disaster resilience Australia package—where the minister is responsible for the measure but the decisions are delegated to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency. That's $2.1 million for this financial year. The disaster risk reduction package is a package to reduce the risk and impact of disasters on Australians, in line with our Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. It has co-funding, obviously, with the Australian and state and territory governments. Approval for these reports by the minister for emergency management and the National Recovery and Resilience Agency will trigger payments for 2021-22 to the states and territories in June 2022.

Then we have the Emergency Response Fund. This funding is actually to fund emergency response, natural disaster recovery and preparedness initiatives. That is also within the purview of the NRRA. Then we have the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants program, a $280 million grant program over the next three years, which is actually to assist those communities that have been impacted by bushfires. The Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience—that would be me—is the decision-maker. The Local Economic Recovery Program— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, a supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the minister responsible for any other grant programs in her new roles as Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience and Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education, bearing in mind my first question related to discretionary grant programs?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is the Local Economic Recovery Program. Whilst it is within my purview, the coordinator-general and state governments are the final decision-makers on that one. There are the restocking, replanting and on-farm infrastructure grants. The minister is only involved in a funding decision if there's a change in the national partnership agreement. Resilient kids—what a great program! Senator McDonald and I were able to announce $2 million for mental health support for schoolchildren who've been in flood affected communities. Those decisions are part of the national partnership agreement. There is $9 million over the next three years for economic diversification. Again, that is covered by the national partnership agreement, as are the telecommunications and energy improvement grants. Management of disaster risk, again, is under the national partnership agreement reallocation issues. The recovery and resilience grants—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator McKenzie! Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If there are some other programs that the minister didn't get to answer, I'd be happy if she were to table the documents. I have a further question. How much budget allocation has been provided to the minister, discretionary or otherwise, in her new roles as Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience and the Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will have to get back to you with the totality of the budget allocations. Obviously, my last three weeks, as you can see from the brief time we've had to spend together outlining the programs that I'm responsible for and who makes decisions—I've got a lot more to go through, about which I'm happy to give you a private briefing, if that would assist you.

But I think the heart of your question, Senator, might actually been going to ministerial discretion in a Westminster democracy. As I've said on the public record, ministerial discretion is absolutely key to how our government functions. Ministers should take the advice and recommendations of departments and agencies and then exercise ministerial discretion appropriately, and my ministerial discretion, in other programs I've administered, resulted in a fairer outcome for Australian taxpayers. (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.