QUESTIONS ON NOTICE › Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Employment Participation and Childcare, Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, and Sport (Question Nos 270, 282, 295, 297 and 298)
Senator Chris Evans: The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows: (1) The Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary are not issued with departmental credit cards. (2) (a) The following mobile devices have been assigned to the Minister and ministerial staff since 14 September 2010: Ministerial Office Mobile phones, blackberries and data cards Ministerial Office Mobile phones, blackberries and data cards Minister Staff Senator Chris Evans * 22 The Hon Peter Garrett MP 1 13 The Hon Kate Ellis MP 1 8 Senator the Hon Mark Arbib # ** 8 Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins 2 6 * Mobile devices provided by the Department of Finance and Deregulation ** Mobile devices provided prior to 14 September 2010 # The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has not issued any mobile phones, blackberries and data cards (b) Total spend on mobile devices for each office as per the Telstra and Optus billing period between September and November 2010 is as follows: Ministers Total Senator Chris Evans $246 The Hon Peter Garrett MP $569 The Hon Kate Ellis MP $1,257 Senator the Hon Mark Arbib $4,663 Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins $1,342 Ministerial Staff Total Senator Chris Evans staff $14,190 The Hon Peter Garrett MP staff $10,134 The Hon Kate Ellis MP staff $9,213 Senator the Hon Mark Arbib's staff $16,084 Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins staff $4,765 (3) The employment of staff under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 is administered by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. On 19 October 2010, the Department of Finance and Deregulation tabled with the Senate F&PA Committee, Government Personal positions as at 1 October 2010. (4) The costs of official travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and accompanying staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 are largely paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. As such, with the exception of those costs listed below, the information sought will be tabled by the Special Minister of State in the last sitting week of June 2011 in his six-monthly report on Parliamentarians Travel paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. The total cost of short-term transport (e.g. hire cars, taxis) since between September and November 2010 was: Ministers' office Domestic Taxi, Comcar and car hire Senator Chris Evans $10,630 The Hon Peter Garrett MP $6,291 The Hon Kate Ellis MP $5,953 Senator the Hon Mark Arbib $8,701 Senator the Hon Jacinta Collins $4,966 (5) The Special Minister of State will respond on behalf of other ministers.