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4.1 Expenditure - allowable

Policy

The justification for the incurring of expenditure by the Office of the Minister is underpinned by four principles:

  1. The expense must be for official purposes.
  2. The expense must be properly documented.
  3. The expense must be available for audit scrutiny.
  4. The expense must be reasonable for the circumstances.

Allowable expenditure falls into three (3) categories as outlined below.

Expenditure which is not allowable expenditure is considered private expenditure. However, Ministers should note that some private expenditure may be claimable as 'Parliamentary business' under the Members' Entitlements Handbook.

4.1.1 'Ministerial-Related' expenditure

(An expense of the Office of the Minister)

'Ministerial-Related' expenditure means expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the Minister, staff of the Office of the Minister (including consultants), partner of the Minister and guests of the Minister as a result of undertaking official duties reasonably associated with the Minister's portfolio. The presumption should be that official expenditure by the Minister's Office will be Ministerial, unless it can clearly be shown as Departmental or Whole of Government.

Notwithstanding that a specific cost may be charged as either Departmental-Related or Whole of Government-Related expenditure, the direct cost such as travel and accommodation, incurred by the Minister, staff of the Minister (including consultants), partner of the Minister and guests of the Minister shall be a charge to the Office of the Minister and shall not be charged as a Departmental-Related or Whole of Government-Related expenditure.

Where a Minister is authorised to act for another Minister, represent another Minister or performs some function or role in relation to a portfolio for which the Minister is not responsible, and incurs expenses as a result thereof, such expenses shall be charged as though the Minister for whom such duties were undertaken, had incurred such expenses.

Where Ministers jointly incur expenditure, such costs may be apportioned to their respective Offices.

Expenditure that is incurred by or for a political party is not a Ministerial expense and should not be charged as Ministerial or any other Government related expenditure.

Expenditure where the primary purpose for the incurring of the expense by the Minister relates to the discharge of the duties and responsibilities of the Minister as the Parliamentary representative of their electorate, shall not be a charge against the Office of the Minister or a government department.

A test which may be used to assist in determining whether an expense is related to electoral responsibilities is - Would the Minister have incurred the expense had the Minister not been the Member for the area? If the answer is yes, then the expense may well be a Ministerial expense.

However, the following expenditure which might otherwise be deemed to be electorate in nature and therefore not a charge against the Office of the Minister or a government department will be a charge against the Office of the Minister:

  1. Transport costs associated with travel to and from the Minister's electorate (see EXPENSES RELATING TO A MINISTER'S OFFICE - Travel to and from the Electorate {Office or Home}); and
  2. Costs associated with the installation and operation of telephone lines in the Minister's Electorate Office additional to those provided under Member's Parliamentary entitlements (see EXPENSES RELATING TO A MINISTERS OFFICE - Telecommunications - Office).

4.1.2 'Departmental-Related' Expenditure

(An expense of the relevant Department)

'Departmental-Related' expenditure means expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the Minister, staff of the Office of the Minister (including consultants), partner of the Minister and guests of the Minister, which is reasonably associated with the programs or activities of the Department or Departments for which the Minister is responsible.

Ministers should not use this category as a means of reducing expenditure which should be legitimately charged to the Office of the Minister.

While the categorisation of expenditure as Departmental-related normally makes that expenditure exclusively Departmental, instances will arise where cost sharing of some expenditure is reasonable (eg. sharing media monitor services).

The Department is responsible for providing the following to the Office of the Minister:

  1. providing advice to the Minister;
  2. establishment of Ministerial Office accommodation outside of the Parliament House environs (see EXPENSES RELATING TO A MINISTER'S OFFICE - Office Accommodation);
  3. office furniture and fittings outside of the Parliament House environs (see EXPENSES RELATING TO A MINISTER'S OFFICE - Office Accommodation);
  4. mail clearing, distribution and records' management;
  5. letterhead used by the Department and Ministerial Office to prepare correspondence from the Minister;
  6. library facilities to the extent such facilities are readily available to the Department; (This is not justification for the establishment of a Departmental library.)
  7. printing of stationery used by the Department and Ministerial Offices;
  8. provisions of and maintenance for office security systems and duress alarms; and
  9. common stationery items (up to $300 per item). For example:
    • Adhesive Tapes (all sorts)
    • All Standard Forms
    • Batteries
    • Binders (all sorts)
    • Blotting Paper
    • Cardboard
    • Computer Disks-removable (all types)
    • Computer Paper
    • Containers
    • Correction Fluid
    • Date Block
    • Desk Blotters
    • Document Protectors
    • Envelopes (all sizes)
    • Erasers
    • Fax Paper (all types)
    • Folders (all types)
    • Glue (all types)
    • Ink
    • Labels
    • List Finders
    • Markers (all types)
    • Paper (all sorts)
    • Paper Fasteners
    • Pens/Pencils
    • Photocopy Paper (all sizes)
    • Pins
    • Post it Tags
    • Rubber Bands
    • Scissors
    • Sponges
    • Stamp Pads
    • Stapler Removers
    • Staplers/Staples (all sizes)
    • Tapes (voice and video)
    • Toner (all types)
    • Trays (all types)
    • Waste Paper Bins
    • Webbing Strap

    (Not exhaustive list, for illustrative purposes only)

The Department is not responsible for providing stationery used exclusively by the Ministerial Office. For example:

  1. business cards;
  2. media release paper; and
  3. 'With Compliments' slips used exclusively by the Office of the Minister.

4.1.3 'Whole of Government-Related' expenditure

(An expense of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet)

'Whole of Government-Related' expenditure means expenditure incurred which is reasonably associated with more than one Ministerial Portfolio and/or which cannot be dissected clearly between Ministerial Portfolios on a shared basis.

All Whole of Government-Related expenditure requires the written approval of the Premier.

Any difficulties relating to determinations in this area should be referred to Ministerial Services or the Premier for consideration.

Examples

  1. Where a Departmental event or Whole of Government event requires the attendance of one or more Ministers, the actual event (eg. a function, opening ceremony or conference) is legitimately a cost of the Department and expenditure should be charged as follows:

    The full cost of the actual event is Departmental even though a proportion of the cost (eg. a meal) may relate to the Minister, the Minister's staff or guests of the Minister.

    However, all costs directly associated with the Minister, the Minister's staff (including consultants), the Minister's partner or guests of the Minister being in attendance are Ministerial costs (ie. the travel, accommodation, and administrative costs of getting to and from the event).

    This applies regardless of whether the Department or a Minister's Office initiates the activity.

  2. A Minister is requested by the Department to open a new building in Cairns which has been a Departmental project. A function is to be held for the opening.

    The full costs of the opening ceremony are Departmental and the cost of the Minister's meal is part of the Departmental costs

    The costs of airfares, accommodation, taxi or car hire for the Minister, the Minister's staff or guests of the Minister are a charge to the Minister's Office

  3. A Minister is requested to attend a state occasion in Mareeba at the request of the Premier.

    The full cost of the function is a charge to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

    The costs of airfares, accommodation, taxi or car hire for the Minister, the Minister's staff or guests of the Minister are a charge to the Minister's Office.

  4. All costs associated with a Minister entertaining portfolio stakeholders and discussing portfolio matters will be Ministerial-related expense unless exceptional circumstances exist.

  5. A Minister is travelling to Roma for Ministerial business and while there, will speak at a Departmental conference.

    The full cost of the conference is the Department's cost.

    All costs associated with travel by the Minister, the Minister's staff or guests of the Minister is a charge to the Minister's Office.

    All other Ministerial business is a charge to the Minister's Office.

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Last reviewed: 17 July, 2009

Last updated: 22 July, 2009

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