David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 22 March 2011:

For the period 1 July to 31 December 2010:

(1) (a) Did the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary travel overseas on official business; if so: (i) to what destination, (ii) for what duration, and (iii) for what purpose; and (b) what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.

(2) (a) Which departmental and uniformed personnel accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary on each trip; and (b) for those personnel, what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.

(3) (a) Apart from ministerial staff and uniformed and civilian departmental personnel, who else accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary on each trip; and (b) for each of these people, what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) (i)-(iii) Yes. Ministers Smith and Clare travelled overseas during this period. Minister Snowdon and Senator Feeney did not travel during this period. Full details are provided in the attached table.

(b)(i)-(ii) All costs of official overseas travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and advisers are paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance). Dates, destinations, the purpose and costs of all official overseas travel are tabled in the Parliament every six months in a report titled 'Parliamentarians' Travel paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation and its supporting information. These reports are now also published to the Finance web site. Where available, expenditure for these visits has been provided to Defence by the Department of Finance via regular reporting.

Where the Minister undertook travel via special purpose aircraft (SPA) the Schedule of Special Purpose flights for 1 July to 31 December 2010 will be tabled in June 2011.

(b) (iii) Some Ministerial expenses are a direct portfolio cost to Defence and those costs are included under item 1(b)(iii) with any ministerial incidentals in the attached table.

(2) Details are provided in the attached table.

(3) (a)-(b)(i)-(iii) Details are provided in the attached table. Costs for additional persons accompanying the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretary are stated where known. Costs and details for ministerial advisers are reflected in this column, as are details of non-Defence delegates or media that were invited to join the delegation. Spouses did not accompany the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretary on overseas travel during the period of 1 July to 31 December 2010.