Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee — hearing of 26 October 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee

25 October 2026

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Contents updated on 26 Oct 2026

Whole hearing of the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee on the 2026–27 supplementary budget estimates.

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Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee — Supplementary budget estimates 2026–27

10:20

Opening statements

10:20

Chair — opening of supplementary budget estimates and acknowledgements

10:20

Intervenant 2 — brief response to chair

14:23

Sue Lines — opening statement on Dr Helen Haines

14:41

Intervenant 5 — Clerk’s opening statement and retirement announcement

15:33

Sue Lines — tribute to the Clerk’s career

19:26

Sue Lines — further tribute to the Clerk and close of opening remarks

20:20

Questions to the Clerk and President

22:01

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on questions on notice at estimates

22:01

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on charging fees for procedural seminars

29:14

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on recruitment process for a new Clerk of the Senate

30:51

Questions on Senate StatsNet and notice paper response timeliness

36:22

Question of Senator Payman on accuracy of StatsNet notice paper status data

36:22

Questions to the Clerk and President (cont.)

39:38

Clerk — clarification on training seminar fees and information to be tabled

39:38

Official — clarification of date Clerk recruitment advertisement went live

40:04

Annual report tabling and drafting services for non‑government senators

40:24

Questions of Senator McGrath on timing of Department of the Senate annual report tabling

40:24

Questions of Senator McGrath on drafting team size, workload and funding bids

44:23

Questions of Senator McGrath on Senate committee activity and secretariat vacancies

55:56

Questions to the Clerk and President (cont.)

01:40:12

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on protection of parliamentary material and privilege claims in search and seizure

01:40:12

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on development of privilege principles and interim protocols

01:46:45

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on witness control over publication of committee evidence and social media use

01:49:46

Annual report tabling and drafting services for non‑government senators (cont.)

01:55:17

Questions of Senator McGrath on departmental operating deficit, leave liabilities and resource needs

01:55:17

Questions of Senator McGrath on Parliamentary Education Office funding and outreach

02:01:24

Parliamentary Budget Office

02:08:00

Opening statements

02:08:00

Opening statement of Mr Reinhardt, Parliamentary Budget Officer

02:08:00

Questions to the Parliamentary Budget Office

02:12:28

Questions of Senator McGrath on access to PBO services, relocation, staffing and resourcing

02:12:28

Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee — Supplementary budget estimates 2026–27 (cont.)

02:22:37

Annual report tabling and drafting services for non‑government senators (cont.)

02:22:37

Clarification from President Sue Lines on Parliamentary Education Office funding bid

02:22:37

Parliamentary Budget Office (cont.)

02:22:53

Questions to the Parliamentary Budget Office (cont.)

02:22:53

Conclusion of PBO appearance and call for Department of Parliamentary Services

02:22:53

Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee — Supplementary budget estimates 2026–27 (cont.)

02:23:41

Department of Parliamentary Services and Parliamentary Service Commissioner

02:23:41

Opening statements

02:23:41

Opening statement of Ms Jala Hinchcliffe, Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services

02:23:41

Opening remarks of Parliamentary Service Commissioner Ms Jackie Curtis

02:25:46

Questions on privilege data handling, cybersecurity and DPS digital services

02:26:18

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on privilege principles and DPS handling of parliamentarian data

02:26:18

Further questions of Senator Jane Hume on ANAO cybersecurity findings and Essential Eight maturity

02:36:26

Parliamentary Library services, facilities and ICT support to parliamentarians

02:44:31

Questions of Senator Payman on My Library Advice access and ICT support for office relocation

02:44:31

DPS commercial revenue and paid training sessions

02:52:53

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on DPS commercial revenue and paid House training sessions

02:52:53

Questions on privilege data handling, cybersecurity and DPS digital services (cont.)

02:56:41

Questions of Senator Jane Hume on ANAO report, cyber risk sign-off and PICA funding

02:56:41

Device security for parliamentarians

03:02:41

Questions of Senator Shoebridge on SIM cards and secure connectivity for parliamentary devices

03:02:41

Remote and external committee broadcasting

03:08:19

Questions of Senator Shoebridge on remote committee video coverage and staffing

03:08:19

Questions on privilege data handling, cybersecurity and DPS digital services (cont.)

03:16:45

Questions of Senator McGrath on cybersecurity staff turnover and ANAO risk findings

03:16:45

Questions of Senator McGrath on website changes for estimates questions on notice

03:20:43

Questions of Senator McGrath on access pass fees, processing times and transitional arrangements

03:23:58

Parliamentary Library services, facilities and ICT support to parliamentarians (cont.)

03:31:51

Questions of Senator McGrath on Parliamentary Library ground floor redevelopment delays and cost

03:31:51

Workplace racism and safety in Parliament House and the Senate chamber

03:34:41

Exchange of Senator Lidia Thorpe with the President on racism in the chamber and handling of a complaint letter

03:34:41

Parliamentary Library services, facilities and ICT support to parliamentarians (cont.)

03:45:21

Questions of Senator McGrath on new Senate suites timelines, costs and tours

03:45:21

Workplace racism and safety in Parliament House and the Senate chamber (cont.)

03:49:52

Clarification by the President on response to letter from three senators

03:49:52

Parliamentary Library services, facilities and ICT support to parliamentarians (cont.)

03:50:45

Questions of Senator Dave Sharma on Parliamentary Library ASIC searches and access to commercial reports

03:50:45

National Indigenous Australians Agency — Supplementary budget estimates 2026–27

04:05:18

Parliamentary conduct, domestic violence and racism

04:05:18

Minister McCarthy — reflections on Dr Haines, domestic violence and racism in Parliament

04:05:18

Government Indigenous policy framework and post‑Voice priorities

04:08:07

Questions of Senator Liddle on overarching Indigenous policy, Closing the Gap and the Uluru principles

04:08:07

NIAA administration, annual reporting, complaints handling and Indigenous expenditure data

04:10:28

Questions of Senator Liddle on timing of the NIAA annual report and brief NIAA remarks

04:10:28

Questions of Senator Liddle on increased complaints to NIAA and AI‑generated submissions

04:11:50

Questions of Senator Liddle on mapping total Indigenous expenditure across portfolios

04:17:45

Indigenous housing in Mount Isa and loss of Aboriginal community homes

04:21:37

Questions of Senator Thorpe on Mount Isa Aboriginal housing provider collapse and tenant impacts

04:21:37

Yusa facility closure in Darwin and Closing the Gap funding leverage

04:30:52

Questions of Senator Pocock on Yusa facility closure, Commonwealth funding offers and Closing the Gap leverage

04:30:52

Parliamentary conduct, domestic violence and racism (cont.)

05:38:57

Tabling of correspondence on President's letter and Senator Thorpe's objections

05:38:57

Remote Jobs and Employment Program funding, administration and evaluation

05:40:28

Questions of Senator Liddle on RJEP funding, administration costs and evaluation spending

05:40:28

Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment (NTRAI) agreement structure and funding reallocations

05:49:46

Questions of Senator Thorpe on NTRAI agreement adjustments and reduced headline funding figure

05:49:46

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Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee

25 October 2026

Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee Mon, 26 Oct 2026 Australian Parliament

10:20 - 12:16

Speaker 1

Welcome to the 2026-27 supplementary budget estimates. I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today and pay my respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

The committee has set Thursday the 5th of November 2026 as the date by which senators are to submit written questions on notice and Thursday the 17th of December 2026 as the date for the return of answers to questions taken on notice. The committee's proceedings today will begin with the parliamentary departments followed by the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio as listed on today's program. Under standing 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.

Any question going to the operations or financial position of the departments and agencies which are seeking funds in estimates are relevant questions for the purpose 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 committees unless the Parliament has expressly provided otherwise. The Senate has resolved that an officer of a department of the Commonwealth shall not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and shall be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked of the officer to superior officers or to a minister. This resolution does not preclude questions asking for explanation of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted. Witnesses are reminded of the Senate order specifying the process by which a claim of public interest immunity should be raised, and I incorporate the public immunity statement into the Hansard.

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