Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Regional Australia Regional Development and Local Government, upon notice, on 17 August 2011:

Can details be provided on the budgeted expenditure for the following items for each year of the forward estimates:

(a) advertising;

(b) travel and accommodation costs;

(c) hospitality and entertainment costs;

(d) information and communications technology costs;

(e) consultancies;

(f) education and training;

(g) external accounting;

(h) external auditing (not included in accounting costs);

(i) external legal costs; and

(j) costs associated with the membership of organisations.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

The department has allocated resources for the following expenditure items in 2011-12:

(a) advertising - $0.01 million.

(d) information and communications technology costs - $2.1 million: includes desktop support, help desk, gateway, internet, and financial management information system.

(f) education and training - $0.5 million.

(g) external accounting- $0.1 million: includes asset valuations and actuarial assessments of provisions.

(h) external auditing (not included in accounting costs) - $0.4 million ANAO financial statement audit.

(i) external legal costs - $0.4 million for legal costs and subpoena matters.

Specific budgets have not been allocated for items b, c, e and j. These costs will be met from broader budget allocations to business units.

As at 26 August 2011, forward year expenditure budgets have not been developed for the items listed above.