4.1 Allowable Expenditure
Expenditure by the Office of the Minister must be for official purposes related to the Minister’s portfolio, properly documented, available for audit scrutiny and reasonable for the circumstances.
Allowable expenditure falls into three (3) categories as outlined below.
4.1.1 Ministerial expenditure
Ministerial expenditure is incurred as a result of undertaking the official duties of the Minister’s portfolio. This includes both general ministerial office expenditure and the Minister’s direct expenditure.
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 that is incurred by the Minister in relation to duties as the parliamentary representative of their electorate should not be charged against the Office of the Minister or a government department.
4.1.2 Departmental expenditure
Departmental expenditure means expenditure associated with the programs or activities of the department or agencies for which the Minister is responsible.
The department is responsible for providing:
- advice to the Minister;
- ministerial office accommodation, office furniture and fittings outside of the Parliament House environs;
- mail clearing, distribution and records’ management;
- letterhead used by the department and ministerial office to prepare correspondence from the Minister and common stationery items (up to $500 per item);
- library facilities to the extent such facilities are readily available to the department; and
- provision of and maintenance for office security systems and duress alarms.
The department is not responsible for providing stationery used exclusively by the ministerial office (e.g. business cards).
4.1.3 Whole of Government expenditure
Whole of Government expenditure is reasonably associated with more than one ministerial portfolio and/or 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.