Department of Human Services

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by SA Senator Rex Patrick (Centre Alliance), which means it was successful.

Motion text

That:

(a) the Senate notes that:

(i) since 2013, the Department of Human Services (the Department) has had a program underway to upgrade its child support system ('Cuba')—the approved budget was $102 million,

(ii) during the 2015-16 financial year, the total budget was exhausted without the project being completed,

(iii) since the 2015-16 financial year, funding to complete the system has come from the Department's internal investment fund and ICT BAU budget,

(iv) in response to questions taken on notice during the inquiry of the Finance and Public Administration References Committee into digital delivery of government services, the Department advised that it was unable to determine how much had been spent on the project,

(v) in response to questions asked at Budget estimates, the Department could provide no indication of the total spend on the project or provide a target completion date, and

(vi) in response to a freedom of information request—Department Reference LEX 37339—the Department indicated there are 49 documents in existence that fit within the description of 'final versions of all formal executive briefings submitted to the Secretary, Department of Human Services between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018, where the topic of one or all of the executive briefings cover the cost, resource allocation and/or progress of the Child Support System redesign Programme'; and

(b) there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Human Services, by no later than 10 am on 10 September 2018, the 49 documents identified by the Department in FOI Department Reference LEX 37339.