Scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure [2021] AUSStaCSDLM 134 (11 August 2021)

• Chapter 3
• Scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure

Chapter 3

Scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure

3.1 The Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Act 1997 (FF(SP) Act) and the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (IRD Act) authorise the Commonwealth to spend public money on grants and programs specified in instruments made under those Acts. Consequently, the specification of expenditure in an instrument made under these Acts effectively authorises the Commonwealth to spend public moneys on the relevant grant or program. The scrutiny of such instruments is a key aspect of parliamentary scrutiny and control of Commonwealth expenditure.^[1]

3.2 To facilitate such scrutiny, this chapter draws the Senate's attention to the nature and extent of Commonwealth expenditure that is authorised by the FF(SP) Act and the IRD Act and specified in delegated legislation made under those Acts.^[2]

3.3 The tables below outline the expenditure specified in legislative instruments registered between 19 and 25 June 2021.

3.4 The committee has resolved to write to the relevant legislation committees to alert those committees to the expenditure listed below that falls within their area of portfolio responsibility. The committee does so under standing order 23(4) which requires the committee to scrutinise each instrument to determine whether the Senate's attention should be drawn to it on the ground that it raises significant issues, or otherwise gives rise to issues that are likely to be of interest to the Senate.

Instrument	Grant/ Program	Amount	Description	Portfolio committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Attorney-General’s Portfolio Measures No. 1) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00826]	Grants to Working Women’s Centres	$0.2 million in 2021-22 (interim funding)	Grants will be provided to working women’s centres to support the continued operation of these organisations. Working women’s centres are not-for-profit, community organisations that provide free information, advocacy, support and advice to women on work related matters, such as workplace entitlements and rights, gender issues, discrimination and sexual harassment, particularly for women who lack legal representation or are not union members.	Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committe
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Education, Skills and Employment Measures No. 2) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00827]	Innovation Fund for Online and Offshore Education Services	$9.4 million in 2021-22	The Innovation Fund will provide one-off grants of up to $150,000 to approximately 60 private providers of English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) programs and higher education programs to international students. The grant funding will be targeted at private ELICOS and higher education providers that are most affected by Australia’s border closures.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Child care services website	$9.2 million over four years from 2021-22, with subsequent ongoing funding of $0.6 million per year	Funding will be provided for the development, establishment and maintenance of a child care services website that will assist families by publishing the fees, vacancies and operating hours of child care services, and offering a service-by-service comparison of Child Care Subsidy providers.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications Measures No. 3) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00828]	Regional Arts Fund	$19.7 million over four years from 2021-22	The Regional Arts Fund provides funding for two main grant opportunities: • Project Grants and Quick Response Grants, which provide funding for arts projects, professional development for artists and arts workers, and community capacity building projects; and • Strategic Partnership Grants, which provide funding for strategic projects that contribute to the furtherance of regional arts nationally.	Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Social Services Measures No. 2) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00825]	Boosting the Local Care Workforce Program	$16.8 million over two years from 2021-22	The Program is intended to facilitate an adequate and appropriate supply of disability, aged care and veterans’ care service providers, including for the purposes of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986. Additional funding is being provided until 30 June 2023 to strengthen the focus on connecting employment service and training providers with care and support providers, and support the development of a care and support work sector across disability, aged care and veterans’ care.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
	Volunteer Management Activity	Up to $43.5 million over six years from 2020-21	The redesigned Volunteer Management Activity includes an online platform to provide volunteer management tools, training and resources to volunteer support services, volunteer involving organisations and volunteers, and grants to volunteering peak bodies to develop and implement strategies to build the capacity of volunteer support services, volunteer involving organisations and volunteers, and remove barriers to volunteering for certain priority groups such as people with disability, newly arrived migrants, and First Nations people.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
	Stronger Places, Stronger People	$24 million over three years from 2021-22	The Stronger Places, Stronger People initiative is intended to improve outcomes for children in disadvantaged communities through: • supporting families, and assisting communities to support families, to prepare for parenthood and caregiving responsibilities and further the development of the children in their care; and • discouraging use of harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs amongst prospective parents; and • encouraging young people to seek employment; and • preparing young people for employment; and • ensuring women have access to appropriate pre‑natal and post‑natal services; and • undertaking measures to help children to live safely and outside the youth justice system.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Veterans’ Affairs Measures No. 2) Regulations 2021 [F2021L00824]	Wellbeing and Support Program	$23.3 million over four years from 2021-22	The Program will provide case management services to highly vulnerable veterans who are transitioning into civilian life after their service in the Australian Defence Force, or have complex care needs.	Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Ahead for Business Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L00851]	Ahead for Business Program	$0.9 million	The Program will support small business owners to take proactive, preventative and early steps to improve their mental wellbeing by continuing to develop and maintain the Ahead for Business digital hub for a further three years from 2021–22. This will include adding new content and promotional activities in various modes including in-person and online engagement with small business stakeholders, business related newsletters, newspapers and social media channels to ensure that the Program provides relevant support information and is reaching small business owners across Australia.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Natural Hazards and Disaster Resilience Research Centre Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L00817]	Natural Hazards and Disaster Resilience Research Centre Program	$85 million	The Program will provide grant funding to support the establishment of a new research centre that will focus on natural hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction to support the needs of emergency service agencies and communities in preparing for, responding to and recovering from future natural disasters.	Senate Economics Legislation Committee

Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells

Chair

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation

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[1] For further information see the committee's guideline on Scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure and Chapter 7 of the report of the committee's inquiry, Parliamentary scrutiny of delegated legislation.

[2] Details of all instruments which specify Commonwealth expenditure are published on the committee's website: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Scrutiny_of_Delegated_Legislation/Scrutiny_of_Commonwealth_expenditure.