(1)   Can details be provided, as of 24 November 2008, of the total number of all staff in:

(a)   the Minister’s office whose job description involves (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy; and

(b)   the department whose job description involves: (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy.

(2)   Can details be provided of the aggregate salary and superannuation costs during the 2008 calendar year for all staff in:

(a)   the Minister’s office whose job description involves (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy; and

(b)   the department whose job description involves: (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy.

(3)   Can details be provided of the aggregate travel costs during the 2008 calendar year for all staff in:

(a)   the Minister’s office whose job description involves (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy; and

(b)   the department whose job description involves: (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy.

(4)   Can details be provided of the aggregate mobile phone costs during the 2008 calendar year for all staff in:

(a)   the Minister’s office whose job description involves (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy; and

(b)   the department whose job description involves: (i) media relations, (ii) media advice, (iii) public relations, (iv) public affairs, (v) communications, and (vi) communications strategy.

(5)   Can a breakdown be provided of every review, inquiry and committee which is being conducted in the department that has been announced since 1 December 2007.

(6) (a)   How many of the department’s reviews, inquiries and committees are in progress or incomplete as of 24 November 2008; and (b) what are their reporting dates.

(7)   In regard to each of the department’s review, inquiry and committee (completed and incomplete as of 24 November 2008) that has or is being conducted during the 2008 calendar year:

(a)   what is the number of departmental staff allocated to each;

(b)   what is the aggregate number of departmental staff allocated to all;

(c)   were external consultants engaged to assist in any; if so, which consultants and how much has each consultancy cost (please itemise for each); and

(d)   what have been the travel costs associated with those staff involved in each (please itemise for each).

(8)   For the 2008 calendar year, what is the total cost of each departmental review, inquiry and committee, including staff wages, consultancy costs, travel and any other associated expenditure (please itemise for each).

(1)   and (2) Two personal staff employed at the adviser level have job descriptions involving media and communications. The salary rates for the above-mentioned roles are available in the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Collective Agreement 2006-2009 available on the Parliament of Australia intranet site. For the number of staff in the Department with the roles of media relations, media advice, public relations, public affairs, communications and communications strategy, please refer to Parliamentary Question on Notice - Senate 024. Their salary rates are provided in the FaHCSIA Collective Agreement 2009-11, available on www.fahcsia.gov.au. The rate of employer contribution to superannuation will vary according to the governing rules of the CSS, PSS or PSSap superannuation schemes, or as determined by the employing organisation in relation to private superannuation funds (subject to minimum obligations as legislated). The employer superannuation contributions may range from nine per cent to 33.8 per cent of salary, depending on scheme membership.

(3)   The aggregate travel costs during the 2008 calendar year to 24 November 2008 for relevant staff in Minister Macklin’s Office was $49,548.12. (Travel costs have been provided by the Department of Finance and Deregulation and are up to and including 24 November 2008. No Costs are included for any travel after 24 November 2008.). The aggregate travel costs during the 2008 calendar year to 24 November 2008 for relevant staff in the department was $84,808.06.

(4)   The aggregate mobile phone costs during the 2008 calendar year to 24 November 2008 for relevant staff in Minister Macklin’s Office was $6,064.35. I am not prepared to authorise the time and resources to collect and assemble the highly detailed information sought in part b of the honourable Senator’s question..

(5)   There are many informal and semi-formal departmental activities that could fall under the rubric of committee work. Tabulating this level of activity would be excessively onerous. Therefore, the information provided below focuses on publicly announced committees initiated by the Department or by one of the portfolio Ministers. Work for Cabinet committees, inter-departmental committees, Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Working Groups and internal committees are explicitly excluded.

(6)   Reviews currently being undertaken in the portfolio/agency or affecting the portfolio/agency are as previously indicated in Question on Notice 31 to Senator Bernardi (2008 Supplementary Estimates, October 2008). Further information was subsequently provided by way of Question on Notice 55 to Senator Humphries (2009 Additional Estimates, February 2009), which mentioned that: The Pension Review, which forms part of the broader Inquiry into Australia’s Future Tax System, was completed on 28 February 2009;

   Adopting the same definitional scope to the previous question, and supplementing the previous answer to this question in October 2008 [Supplementary Estimates Question 31], the “in progress” and “incomplete” reviews, inquiries and committees announced between 1 December 2007 and 24 November 2008 (and associated reporting dates) are:

(7)   The staffing numbers allocated to these reviews vary over time. I am not prepared to commit the level of departmental resources required to answer these parts of the Honourable Senator’s questions. The external consultants and their costs are detailed in the Department’s 2007-08 and 2008-09 Annual Reports.

(8)   I am not prepared to commit the level of Departmental resources required to answer the honourable Senator’s question concerning the total cost of each departmental review, inquiry and committee, including staff wages, consultancy costs, travel and any other associated expenditure for the 2008 calendar year.