Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (part 1 of 3)
1 December 2025
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Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee Australian Parliament
10:43 - 13:30
Speaker 3
I declare open this hearing of the senate finance and public administration legislation committee into the 2526 supplementary budget estimates. I begin by acknowledging the traditional, custodians on the land which we meet today and pay my respects to elders past, present, and emerging. The committee has set Thursday, 12/11/2025, as the date by which senators are to submit written questions on notice, and Thursday, 01/29/2026 is the date for the return of answers to questions taken on notice. The committee proceedings today will begin with the indigenous portfolio agencies as listed on today's program. Understanding order 26, the committee must take all evidence in public session, and this includes answers to questions on notice.
I remind all witnesses that in giving evidence to the committee, they are protected by parliamentary privilege. It is unlawful for anyone to threaten or disadvantage a witness on account of evidence given to a committee, and such action may be treated by the senate as a contempt. It is also a contempt to give false or misleading evidence. The senate has endorsed the following test of relevance for questions at estimates hearings, and that is any question going to the operational financial position of the departments and agencies which are seeking funds in estimates are relevant questions for the purposes of estimates hearings. I remind officers that the senate has resolved that there are no areas in connection with the expenditure of public funds where any person has discretion to withhold details or explanations from the parliament or its committee unless the parliament has expressly provided otherwise.
The senate has resolved also that an officer of the Department of the Commonwealth shall not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and should be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked of the officer to superior officers or to administer. This resolution does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted. Witnesses are reminded of the senate order specifying the process by which claim of public interest immunity should be raised, and I incorporate the public immunity statement into the hands up. I remind senators of their obligations under the behavior code for Australian parliamentarians to treat witnesses with dignity, courtesy, fairness, and respect. And as is my usual practice, I've provided copies of the code in the room for your reference.
An officer called to answer a question for the first time should state their full name and the capacity in which they appear. And I remind committee members and witnesses who are appearing via video conference through the day who are not speaking to mute their microphones. I welcome back, the honorable Melanjeri McCarthy, minister for indigenous Australians, and I also welcome miss Tricia Stroud, registrar of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations, and miss Penny Talbot, the executive director of the office of township leasing and the other offices at the table. Minister, would you care to make an opening statement?
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