Breakdown of legal services costs...
Rural & Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON NOTICE
Budget Estimates May 2012
Infrastructure and Transport
Question no.: 04
Program: n/a
Division/Agency: (CORP) Corporate Services
Topic: Legal Fees
Proof Hansard Page/s: 16 (23/05/12)
Senator McKENZIE asked:
Senator McKENZIE: I want to ask something on notice. It goes to the legal fees of the department and the agencies. From my rough calculations to a question on notice, we have over $10 million being spent on legal fees. I would like that broken down. We have $2 million from Airservices Australia. We have $1.7 million from Airservices Australia for another issue. The department has spent $1.2 million with the Australian Government Solicitor. Could I have further detail for the over $1 million in legal bills in the answer to question on notice 25?
Mr Mrdak: Certainly. We obviously have a number of legal actions which we deal with, I think, which are predominantly the areas covered by those larger expenditures. Obviously we appear in a number of corporate processes at a time. But I will get you some more detail in relation to those.
Answer:
Department of Infrastructure and Transport
Service category Cost
Commercial (contracts, property and construction,
procurement, grants and funding, intergovernmental
agreements and corporate law)
$380,896
Litigation and dispute resolution (debt recovery, tribunal and
court proceedings, employment law and enforcement)
$191.282
General advice (statutory interpretation, legislative drafting,
employment law and financial law)
$1,122,699
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Service category Cost
General legal advice $605,268
Legislative drafting $477,453
New policy- National System $360,350
Airservices Australia
Service category Cost
Staffing and office support costs for Airservices Office of
Legal Counsel. $1,720,000
Service category Cost
External Legal costs covering such things as property,
employment and commercial matters. $2,144,000
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Service category Cost
Salaries for 14 staff $1,014,909
Leave and employer super $234,359
Other overhead costs $309,190
You guessed it...hmm wonder what % of the 2.144 million was used for employment disputes?