Estimates questions and answers.

With another round of Senate Estimates committee hearings underway in Canberra this week, the answers to questions taken on notice during hearings in May provide plenty for those interested in the fine detail the accountability system reveals. Something is there from just about every agency, The issues of possible interest to us were raised in the Finance and Public Administration Committee so didn't get far past those.There are 120 or so answers to questions alone from the Prime Minister's Department, nothing earth -shattering, but tidbits such as the cost of each community cabinet meetung (PM 29); that providing a list of official gifts to Prime Ministers Hawke and Keating would involve too much work given the information is stored on obsolete software (PM111); and the listing of contents of the Prime Minister's wine cellar which includes nothing over $100, mostly modest price stuff, including plenty under $20.(PDF 15KB) Nothing much for Senator Trood either in response to his questions (PM 63-65) concerning the views of intelligence agencies about issues canvassed in the Defence White Paper- one of the dust-ups last time when questions were asked about advice.The Treasury portfolio index includes some interesting subjects.