Scrutiny of Commonwealth expenditure [2022] AUSStaCSDLM 7 (25 January 2022)

• 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 23 October 2021 and 26 November 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 (Education, Skills and Employment Measures No. 4) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01494]	Grant to MultiLit Pty Limited	$8 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for a grant to MultiLit Pty Limited to provide phonics-based programs to support literacy outcomes for students, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Grant to Together for Humanity Foundation Limited	$8.1 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for a grant to Together for Humanity Foundation Limited to deliver the Inclusion for Connected Youth and Communities Initiative, which includes intercultural solutions, programs and resources for students, teachers and school communities and related research.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Explicit Instruction Teaching Program	$9.9 million over four years from 2021-22.	Funding will be provided to support training for teachers at educationally disadvantaged primary schools to enable them to adopt explicit instruction teaching methods in relation to literacy, numeracy and science to improve skills and knowledge, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Online Formative Assessment Initiative	The initiative is one of eight national policy initiatives under the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA) with $35 million over two years from 2021-22 allocated for the NSRA initiatives	Funding will be provided to facilitate access to online teaching resources, tools, student assessments, professional learning and other support for teachers.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	School Partnerships to Improve Educational Outcomes for Indigenous Students in Remote Schools	$25.9 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for school partnerships to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students in remote schools.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Migrant Skills Incentives	$19.7 million over three years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for incentives to increase the number of skilled migrants who can contribute to the Australian workforce at an appropriate skill level, by funding the development, promotion and provision of skills assessment, employability assessments and skills training.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	Skills for Education and Employment Program	$512.5 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills training to eligible job seekers to assist their prospects for further education and employment opportunities.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
	VET system improvements	$292.5 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for improvements to the vocational education and training system, including new industry engagement arrangements.	Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Health Measures No. 7) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01500]	Safeguarding the Integrity of Australian Sport—Australia’s international anti‑doping commitments	$1.8 million over two years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for Australia’s contributions to the Oceania Regional Anti‑Doping Organisation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Fund for the Elimination of Doping in Sport and the World Anti‑Doping Agency to fulfil Australia’s international anti-doping commitments.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Measures No. 1) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01495]	International Climate Action	$103.9 million in total, comprising: • $59.9 million over five years from 2021-22; and • $44 million over ten years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided to: • establish a high-integrity carbon offset scheme in the Indo-Pacific (the scheme) ($59.9 million); and • establish a larger number of partnerships under the scheme, with a focus on building capacity to meet Paris Agreement-era emissions reporting and transparency standards ($44 million).	Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications Measures No. 5) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01507]	Emerging Aviation Technologies Partnerships Program	$32.6 million over two years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided to deliver measures to encourage and enable the development and deployment of emerging aviation technologies (such as electric engines, drones, and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles) to enhance the competitiveness, efficiency and reliability of Australian aviation, including by expanding employment in the aviation sector; improving supply chain and market efficiency; and improving connections with regional and remote, including Indigenous, communities.	Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Prime Minister and Cabinet Measures No. 8) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01499]	Initiatives addressing child sexual abuse, such as those under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse	$146 million over four years from 2021-22 (initial funding)	Funding will be provided to: • expand the role of the National Office for Child Safety to deliver the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse; • build child safe cultures through awareness raising and education campaigns; • improve support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse; • establish a national support service for non-offending family members of child sexual abuse offenders; • enhance national approaches to supporting children with harmful sexual behaviours; • prevent first-time and recurring child sexual abuse offending; • enhance and expand legal assistance services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse; and • strengthen regional policy, legislative and operational responses to counter child sexual abuse.	Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Prime Minister and Cabinet Measures No. 10) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01609]	Australia Day Celebrations	$26.7 million in 2021-22	Funding will be provided to the National Australia Day Council Limited to deliver a grants program that supports Australia Day events (up to $16.9 million in 2021-22) and a communications campaign to promote Australia Day ($9.8 million in 2021-22 for the 2022 Australia Day campaign).	Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee
Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment (Social Services Measures No. 4) Regulations 2021 [F2021L01498]	Care and Support Workforce National Campaign	$13.3 million in 2021-22 for the campaign and $9.8 million over two years from 2021-22 for the campaign extension	Funding will be provided for a communications campaign to increase public awareness of the employment opportunities available in the care and support sector, including in aged care, disability support and veterans’ care.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
	Cashless welfare support services	$47.5 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided to support to Cashless Debit Card participants, including: • access to services to address family violence and substance abuse including drug and alcohol and rehabilitation; • job readiness programs, training, education and employment-related services and support; • mental health services via providing training assessments for people with mental illness and treatment, rehabilitation and case management services; • support services to families with children aged 18 years and under to promote safety and wellbeing of those children; • targeted youth activities, mentoring programs, community engagement and participation; • financial capability building services, financial counselling and digital literacy; and • community level infrastructure and digital connectivity.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
	National early childhood program for children with disability or developmental concerns	$17.9 million over four years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided to facilitate a range of disability specific information, linkages, workshops and community supports for young children aged 0 to 8 years with disability or developmental concerns, including by funding measures to: • enable parents and carers to access information about their child’s development and early capacity‑building supports; or • help prepare children with disability or developmental concerns for school and other learning environments; or • develop the skills and confidence of parents and carers to support their child’s learning and development and connect with services.	Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Hubs and Technologies Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L01593]	Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Hubs and Technologies Program	$250 million	Funding will be provided to support: • research, development and commercialisation of projects and technologies for: o the capture of carbon dioxide for subsequent use or storage; and o the use or storage of carbon dioxide; • the identification of suitable locations for the storage of carbon dioxide; and • the design and construction of shared infrastructure for the transport and storage of carbon dioxide.	Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Northern Australia Development Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L01508]	Northern Australia Development Program	$111.9 million over five years from 2021-22	Funding will be provided for: • Northern Australia Business Development Grants: This element will provide grant funding to northern Australia Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including Indigenous organisations, to take the next step to diversify or grow their business. This may involve grants for activities such as acquiring infrastructure and assets, feasibility studies, business planning and marketing activities. • Northern Australia Industry Transformation Grants: This element will provide grant funding to medium to large businesses aiming to establish a new industry or significantly grow the value of an existing industry and contribute to transformational change in a northern Australian region. • Strengthening Northern Australia Business Advisory Services: This will provide eligible northern Australian businesses who apply for grants through the Program with access to support from an expert facilitator, and / or workshops to build long term resilience and business strength. Funding will be provided to the Department in a direct allocation to deliver this element of the Program through the established frameworks of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The service will connect SMEs with the capabilities and networks they need to grow. It will be provided through a network of independent business experts, who work closely with clients to determine the businesses needs and how best to achieve them in the short, medium and long term. •	Senate Economics Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Soil Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L01509]	Soil Program	$96.7 million	Funding will be provided to improve the understanding of Australia’s soil condition and how to better manage it, assess the impact of land management practices on soil and assist farmers to improve their productivity and profitability, including by: • supporting researchers to conduct research relating to soil science by providing funding through Soil Science Challenge Grants ($20 million); • supporting the development and implementation of an accreditation program for soil practitioners and education resources relevant to the accreditation program, by providing funding to the Australian Society of Soil Science Incorporated (also known as Soil Science Australia) (up to $1 million); • encouraging soil data owners to share soil data by providing payments ($21.3 million); and • enabling the collection of soil samples, including by land managers, and accredited laboratories to test the soil samples, analyse the test results and provide the data obtained from the testing and analysis to the Commonwealth ($54.4 million).	Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
Industry Research and Development (Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women Program) Instrument 2021 [F2021L01558]	Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women Program	$4.3 million in 2021-22 (initial funding)	Funding will be provided to: • the Victorian Showmen’s Guild to pay rental costs and ground administration fees charged by Australian agricultural show societies for the participation of travelling show businesses in agricultural shows; and • Australian agricultural show guilds to pay for the guild fees of travelling show businesses.	Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee

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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.