Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I am never disrespectful to you, Member for Sturt—not intentionally anyway.

The unit will be sufficiently well resourced to retain external expertise from both government and non-government sources. The final budget of the unit has not been determined. Between now and July 2008 the department is conducting a business planning and budgeting process to determine the final budget. The PM&C will receive $9.925 million in 2008-09 for this budget measure. The department has conducted a diagnostic audit of the department which will inform the allocation of this funding. The final allocation will be determined following the business planning and budgeting cycle, which is currently underway. I expect the majority of the funding to be used in the set-up, establishment and operation of the strategic policy unit. However, funding will also be used in a targeted way to boost the strategic policy capability of some other areas of the department.

The initial work of the unit has not been determined. The program will be determined in consultation with the Prime Minister. The department has advertised several positions within the unit, including the position of head of strategic policy and implementation, which is the position at deputy secretary level. The department has recruited Mr Simon Miller in an ongoing capacity at the first assistant secretary level to fill the role of executive director of the unit for six months. Mr Miller will have day-to-day management responsibility for the unit, including its establishment. Mr Miller has held various positions within the New South Wales state government, including lead adviser to the Premier and the Treasurer on fiscal policy and deputy director-general of the New South Wales Department of Water and Energy. Recently, Mr Miller has worked with a management consultancy firm.

The member for Isaacs has asked me about the Office of National Security.

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