(1)   For each of the financial years 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 to date, can details be provided of all privately or commercially sponsored travel, including cost and sponsor, for: (a) the Minister; (b) the Minister’s family; (c) the Minister’s personal staff; and (d) officers of the Minister’s department.

(1)  

(a)   and (b) The Special Minister of State has responded to these parts of the question on behalf of all Ministers.

(c)   The Special Minister of State has answered on behalf of all Ministers insofar as the question relates to any sponsored travel associated with the Australian Political Exchange Council. In terms of any other travel undertaken by my personal staff, none was privately or commercially sponsored. This response relates to the period from October 2003, when I took up office, to the end of the 2004-05 financial year.

(d)   Table 1 provides details of privately or commercially sponsored international travel undertaken by officers of my department for 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Table 1

Please note:

1. As a result of the resource intensive nature of obtaining the data, I am not prepared to authorise the diversion of resources required to collect this information for the financial years preceding 2003-04.

2. The department does not retain information in relation to sponsored domestic travel.

3. The sponsors’ costs are not available. The department’s corporate systems do not record this information.