Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, upon notice, on 29 September 2010:

(1) (a) Can an itemised list be provided of how much the department has spent on hospitality since 24 November 2007; and (b) of this, how much was spent on alcohol.

(2) For each Minister and any associated parliamentary secretary: (a) can an itemised list be provided of how much each office has spent on hospitality since 24 November 2007; and (b) of this, how much was spent on alcohol.

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

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency's (and its predecessor the Department of Climate Change) total hospitality spend from 24 November 2007 to 30 June 2010 was $200,138 comprising:

295 Australian based events costing $155,390; and

19 International events costing $44,748.

The Department is unable to provide further details of each event as it would involve an unreasonable diversion of resources.(b) Details of the alcohol component of any official hospitality are not recorded separately. Provision of these details would involve an extensive manual process and therefore, in the context of existing workloads, an unreasonable diversion of resources.

(2) (a) Details of events for each Minister to 30 June 2010 are as follows:

(b) Details of the alcohol component of any official hospitality are not recorded separately. Provision of these details would involve an extensive manual process and therefore, in the context of existing workloads, an unreasonable diversion of resources.