Our portfolio committees have just completed a second round of Estimates hearings for 2019-2020 – supplementary hearings.
What are supplementary hearings?
The Budget Estimates resolution allows portfolio committees to hold another round of hearings after the initial round. Supplementary hearings are usually an opportunity for members to question Ministers and senior public servants on any issues that may have arisen after the initial round of hearings, or to delve deeper into the answers to questions on notice and supplementary questions provided by the Minister after their initial hearing.
How many supplementary hearings were held?
Most years, committees hold three or four supplementary hearings. This year, five portfolio committees held a record of 12 hearings.
| PC 1 | PC 2 | PC 4 | PC 6 | PC 7 |
| Treasury | Health and Medical Research | Regional New South Wales, Trade and Industry | Transport and Roads, Regional Transport and Roads (combined hearing) | Planning and Public Spaces |
| Mental Health, Regional Youth and Women | Water, Property and Housing | Customer Service | Local Government | |
| Agriculture and Western New South Wales | Better Regulation and Innovation | Energy and Environment |
While in previous years, Ministers didn’t usually attend supplementary hearings, this year, 7 ministers attended.
What’s next?
As with the initial round of hearings, members have an opportunity to lodge supplementary questions. Answers to questions on notice and supplementary questions will be due from Ministers between 21 November and 26 November, and will be published here.
In the meantime, our portfolio committees will be busy looking at a third round of Budget Estimates hearings – ‘further hearings’ – to be held in the new year.