
Part 2 covers our performance in areas for which activity is measured across the department, including:
- services to ministers and parliament
- our financial performance.
This annual report also responds to the programme deliverables and key performance indicators published in the Portfolio Budget Statements and Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements. Programme performance information includes:
- achievements contributing to programme deliverables
- evaluations and reviews
- purchaser–provider arrangements (where relevant)
- results set against key performance indicators.
Services to ministers and parliament
Ministerial correspondence
During the reporting period, the department processed approximately 18,380 items of correspondence, an average of more than 70 items per working day, some of which is reflected in Table 1. This is a decrease from the previous financial year. Common topics and issues arising in ministerial correspondence included the National Independent Redress Scheme, same-sex marriage, Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, and slavery and human-trafficking.
The department commenced its transition to the whole-of-government Parliamentary Document Management Solution (PDMS) for the management of ministerial correspondence and submissions. It will complete the transition in the first half of 2015–16.
Performance indicators
Table 1: Services to ministers and parliament 2014–15
Submissions to ministers |
Responses to ministerial correspondence |
Responses to questions on
notice |
Briefs |
Speeches |
1,456 |
4,379 |
65 |
513 |
120 |
Our financial performance
Parliament, via the Appropriation Acts, provides the department with two types of funding: departmental and administered. We use departmental resources to deliver services (programmes). We also administer payments, revenues and other resources on behalf of the government, which controls how we use them and requires us to account for them separately.
The department’s revenue and expenses are shown in Table 2 and administered expenses are shown in Table 3. Our resources are outlined in Table 4 and the allocation of expenses to outcomes and administered items for 2014–15 is detailed in Table 5.
Analysis of financial performance
The departmental operating result for 2014–15 was a deficit of $14.687m compared to a deficit of $18.213m for 2013–14. The deficit is primarily attributable to unfunded depreciation and amortisation expenses of $23.865m.
The total administered expenses for 2014–15 was $1,275.811m compared to $952.795m in 2013–14. The 2014–15 expenses include $471.068m in payments to portfolio agency corporate Commonwealth entities, $97.684m for royal commissions and $112.727m in personal benefits payments to individuals following the cyclones and floods in 2014–15 and for Australian Victims of Terrorism Overseas payments.
Table 2: Department revenue and expenses
|
2014–15 |
2013–14 |
Revenues ($m) |
336.532 |
328.868 |
Expenses ($m) |
351.125 |
350.621 |
Table 3: Administered expenses
|
2014–15 |
2013–14 |
Administered expenses ($m) |
1,275.811 |
952.795 |
Resource statement 2014–15
Table 4: Department resource statement
|
Actual available appropriation for 2014–15
$’000 |
Payments
made
2014–15
$’000 |
Balance remaining 2014–15
$’000 |
|
(a) |
(b) |
(a) – (b) |
Ordinary annual services |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation |
413,926 |
342,148 |
71,778 |
Total |
413,926 |
342,148 |
71,778 |
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Outcome 1 |
471,197 |
464,024 |
|
Outcome 2 |
205,812 |
206,753 |
|
Payments to corporate entities |
439,556 |
439,556 |
|
Total |
1,116,565 |
1,110,333 |
|
Total ordinary annual services (A) |
1,530,491 |
1,452,481 |
|
Other services |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Specific payments to states, |
|
|
|
Outcome 1 |
4,746 |
874 |
|
Total |
4,746 |
874 |
|
Departmental non-operating |
|
|
|
Equity injections |
7,510 |
2,040 |
5,470 |
Total |
7,510 |
2,040 |
5,470 |
Administered non-operating |
|
|
|
Administered assets and liabilities |
42,752 |
11,221 |
|
Payments to corporate entities 5 |
31,512 |
31,512 |
|
Total |
74,264 |
42,733 |
|
Total other services (B) |
86,520 |
45,647 |
|
Total available annual |
|
|
|
appropriations and payments |
1,617,011 |
1,498,128 |
|
Special appropriations |
|
|
|
Special appropriations limited by criteria/entitlement |
|
|
|
Law Officers Act 1964 s 16(13) – former Solicitors-General |
450 |
414 |
|
High Court Justices (Long Leave Payments) Act 1979 |
– |
973 |
|
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 – Australian Victims of Terrorism Overseas Payment |
7,060 |
5,952 |
|
Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 |
45,624 |
106,190 |
|
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 |
127 |
33 |
|
Total special appropriations (C) |
53,261 |
113,572 |
|
Total appropriations excluding special accounts |
1,670,272 |
1,611,700 |
|
Special accounts |
|
|
|
Opening balance |
9,718 |
– |
|
Appropriation receipts |
1,927 |
– |
|
Non-appropriation receipts to special accounts |
47,410 |
– |
|
Payments made |
– |
20,704 |
|
Total special account (D) |
59,055 |
20,704 |
38,351 |
Total resourcing and payments |
|
|
|
A+B+C+D |
1,729,327 |
1,632,404 |
|
Less appropriations drawn from annual or special appropriations above and credited to special accounts |
1,927 |
– |
|
Less payments to corporate entities through annual appropriations |
471,068 |
471,068 |
|
Total net resourcing and payments for agency |
1,256,332 |
1,160,028 |
|
Resource summaries
Table 5: Resource summaries
Expenses for Outcome 1
Outcome 1:
A just and secure society through the maintenance and improvement of Australia’s law and justice framework and its national security and emergency management system |
Budget* 2014–15
$’000
(a) |
Actual Expenses 2014–15
$’000
(b) |
Variation 2014–15
$’000
(a) – (b) |
Programme 1.1: Attorney-General’s Department operating expenses—Civil justice and legal services |
|
|
|
Departmental expenses |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation |
172,582 |
147,992 |
24,590 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
13,601 |
10,422 |
3,179 |
Total for Programme 1.1 |
186,183 |
158,414 |
27,769 |
Programme 1.2: Attorney-General’s Department operating expenses—National security and criminal justice |
|
|
|
Departmental expenses |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation 1 |
145,866 |
148,914 |
(3,048) |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
10,554 |
11,118 |
(564) |
Total for Programme 1.2 |
156,420 |
160,032 |
(3,612) |
Programme 1.3: Justice services |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
87,480 |
85,114 |
2,366 |
Special appropriations |
567 |
200 |
367 |
Total for Programme 1.3 |
88,047 |
85,314 |
2,733 |
Programme 1.4: Family relationships |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
161,162 |
161,144 |
18 |
Total for Programme 1.4 |
161,162 |
161,144 |
18 |
Programme 1.5: Indigenous law and justice |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
75,743 |
75,743 |
– |
Total for Programme 1.5 |
75,743 |
75,743 |
– |
Programme 1.6: National security and criminal justice |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
44,675 |
43,777 |
898 |
Other services (Appropriation Act Nos. 2 and 4) |
4,746 |
(124) |
4,870 |
Special appropriations |
7,060 |
5,997 |
1,063 |
Special accounts |
41,459 |
15,026 |
26,433 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
1,470 |
1,412 |
58 |
Total for Programme 1.6 |
99,410 |
66,088 |
33,322 |
Programme 1.7: Australian Government disaster financial support payments |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
234 |
129 |
105 |
Special appropriations |
45,624 |
106,491 |
(60,867) |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
312 |
– |
312 |
Total for Programme 1.7 |
46,170 |
106,620 |
(60,450) |
Programme 1.8: Royal commissions |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
99,617 |
90,177 |
9,440 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
6,959 |
7,032 |
(73) |
Total for Programme 1.8 |
106,576 |
97,209 |
9,367 |
Outcome 1 Totals by appropriation type |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
468,911 |
456,084 |
12,827 |
Other services (Appropriation Act Nos. 2 and 4) |
4,746 |
(124) |
4,870 |
Special appropriations |
53,251 |
112,687 |
(59,436) |
Special accounts |
41,459 |
15,026 |
26,433 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
8,741 |
8,443 |
298 |
Departmental expenses |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation 1 |
318,448 |
296,906 |
21,542 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
24,155 |
21,540 |
2,615 |
Total expenses for Outcome 1 |
919,711 |
910,562 |
9,149 |
|
|
|
|
|
2014–15 Budget |
2014–15 Actual |
|
Average Staffing Level |
1,493 |
1,489 |
4 |
Expenses for Outcome 2
Outcome 2:
Participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression |
Budget* 2014–15
$’000
(a) |
Actual Expenses 2014–15
$’000
(b) |
Variation 2014–15
$’000
(a) – (b) |
Programme 2.1: Arts and cultural development |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
203,647 |
204,081 |
(434) |
Special appropriations |
10 |
– |
10 |
Special accounts |
500 |
499 |
1 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
1,489 |
1,489 |
– |
Payments to corporate entities |
439,556 |
439,556 |
– |
Departmental expenses |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation 1 |
22,736 |
24,882 |
(2,146) |
Special accounts |
5,287 |
3,721 |
1,566 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
55 |
2,299 |
(2,244) |
Total for Programme 2.1 |
673,280 |
676,527 |
(3,247) |
Outcome 2 Totals by appropriation type |
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|
|
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos. 1 and 3) |
203,647 |
204,081 |
(434) |
Special appropriations |
10 |
– |
10 |
Special accounts |
500 |
499 |
1 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
1,489 |
1,489 |
– |
Payments to corporate entities |
439,556 |
439,556 |
– |
Departmental expenses |
|
|
|
Departmental appropriation 1 |
22,736 |
24,882 |
(2,146) |
Special accounts |
5,287 |
3,721 |
1,566 |
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year |
55 |
2,299 |
(2,244) |
Total expenses for Outcome 2 |
673,280 |
676,527 |
(3,247) |
|
|
|
|
|
2014–15 Budget |
2014–15 Actual |
|
Average Staffing Level |
148 |
148 |
– |
