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Budget Estimates 2003–04

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Budget Estimates 2003–04 The Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee Budget estimates 2003–04 June 2003 ii © Commonwealth of Australia 2003 ISBN 0 642 71261 1 This document was printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Department of the Senate, Parliament House, Canberra. iii MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE Members Senator Marise Payne, Chair, LP, NSW Senator the Hon. Nick Bolkus, Deputy Chair, ALP, SA Senator Brian Greig, AD, WA* Senator Joseph Ludwig, ALP, QLD Senator Brett Mason, LP, QLD Senator Nigel Scullion, CLP, NT Substitute Member * Senator Aden Ridgeway, AD, NSW to replace Senator Brian Greig for matters relating to the Indigenous Affairs portfolio Participating Members Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz, LP, TAS Senator Susan Knowles, LP, WA Senator Bartlett, AD, QLD (for DIMIA) Senator Meg Lees, APA, SA Senator George Brandis, LP, QLD Senator Ross Lightfoot, LP, WA Senator Bob Brown, AG, TAS Senator Julian McGauran, NPA, VIC Senator Kim Carr, ALP, VIC Senator Jan McLucas, ALP, QLD Senator Grant Chapman, LP, SA Senator Shayne Murphy, IND, TAS Senator Alan Eggleston, LP, WA Senator Kerry Nettle, AG, NSW Senator Christopher Evans, ALP, WA Senator Robert Ray, ALP, VIC Senator the Hon. John Faulkner, ALP, NSW Senator the Hon. Nick Sherry, ALP, TAS Senator Alan Ferguson, LP, SA Senator Ursula Stephens, ALP, NSW Senator Jeannie Ferris, LP, SA Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, AD, SA Senator Brian Harradine, IND, TAS Senator Tsebin Tchen, LP, VIC Senator Leonard Harris, PHON, QLD Senator John Tierney, LP, NSW Senator Linda Kirk, ALP, SA Senator John Watson, LP, TAS Secretariat Ms Louise Gell Secretary Ms Kelly Paxman Senior Research Officer Mr Mark Stevenson Estimates Officer Ms Julia Clifford Executive Assistant Suite S1.61 Telephone: (02) 6277 3560 Parliament House Fax: (02) 6277 5794 E-mail: [email protected] iv v TABLE OF CONTENTS MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE................................ iii PREFACE......................................................................................................... vii Estimates hearings...........................................................................................................vii Record of proceedings.....................................................................................................vii Minister ...........................................................................................................................vii Questions on notice.........................................................................................................vii Report............................................................................................................................ viii CHAPTER 1 ........................................................................................................1 ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S PORTFOLIO.......................................................................1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................1 Attorney-General’s Department........................................................................................1 Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre .......................................................2 Australian Government Solicitor ......................................................................................2 Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia.........................................................................2 CrimTrac ...........................................................................................................................2 Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions...................................................................2 Australian Customs Service ..............................................................................................2 Administrative Appeals Tribunal......................................................................................3 Australian Crime Commission..........................................................................................3 Australian Law Reform Commission................................................................................3 High Court.........................................................................................................................3 Federal Court.....................................................................................................................3 Federal Magistrates Service ..............................................................................................4 Family Court .....................................................................................................................4 National Native Title Tribunal ..........................................................................................4 Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner....................................................................4 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.........................................................4 Office of Film and Literature Classification .....................................................................5 Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)...............................................5 Australian Federal Police ..................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................................7 IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL AND INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO .......................................................................................................................7 Introduction.......................................................................................................................7 Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs............................7 Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs....................................................8 v vi Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) ...........................................8 Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies...............................8 Indigenous Business Australia ..........................................................................................8 Indigenous Land Corporation ...........................................................................................8 Refugee Review Tribunal..................................................................................................9 Migration Review Tribunal...............................................................................................9 Migration Agents Registration Authority .........................................................................9 APPENDIX 1 .....................................................................................................11 INDEX OF HANSARD FOR ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S PORTFOLIO ..................11 APPENDIX 2 .....................................................................................................13 INDEX OF HANSARD FOR IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL AND INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO ........................................................................13 vi vii PREFACE On 13 May 2003, the Senate referred to the Committee the examination of estimates of proposed expenditure for the financial year 2003-2004. The Committee is responsible for the examination of the Attorney-General’s portfolio and the Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs portfolio. The portfolio budget statements were tabled in the Senate on 13 May 2003. The Committee was required to report on its consideration of the budget estimates on or before 19 June 2003.1 Estimates hearings The Committee met in public session from 26 May to 29 May 2003 for a total of 41 hours and 5 minutes. Record of proceedings The Hansard of the proceedings records the examination of budget estimates and may be accessed through the Internet at http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard. The Hansard is also available on the Parliamentary database. An index of the Hansard for each portfolio appears at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2. Minister The Committee heard evidence from Senator the Hon. Chris Ellison, Minister for Justice and Customs, who represented the Attorney-General and the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. The Committee also heard evidence from Senator the Hon. Judith Troeth, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, who represented the Minister for Justice and Customs for part of the proceedings. Officers from both departments and associated agencies also appeared, and the Committee thanks them and the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for their assistance. Questions on notice The Committee recorded that there were no outstanding questions on notice from the Attorney-General’s portfolio from Additional Estimates 2002-2003 and that answers to a small number of outstanding questions on notice from the Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio were provided during budget estimates hearings. The Committee notes that the Standing Orders require the Committee to set dates for the lodgement of any written answers or additional information and for supplementary hearings. The Committee resolved that written answers and additional information were to be 1 By order of the Senate 11 December 2002. viii submitted by close of business
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