Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth and Minister representing the Minister Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, in writing, on 3 March 2011:

(1) How many personal staff are employed by the Minister.

(2) What is the (a) total cost, and (b) breakdown of costs, of all capital works and acquisitions in the Minister's private office since 3 December 2007.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) The employment of staff under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 is administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. On 22 February 2011, the Department tabled with the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee a list of Government Personal Staff Positions as at 1 February 2011.

(2) The cost of capital works and acquisitions for ministers ' offices is shared by the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), Department of Finance and Deregulation (DoFD) and home departments in line with Appendix 2 of Supporting Ministers, Upholding the Values . The Special Minister of State will accordingly respond on behalf of all ministers in respect of costs incurred by the DPS and DoFD. I am advised that the costs incurred by Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs are as follows:

1 Acquisitions include desktop PC's, printers, shredders and teleconferencing equipment.