Released by the Department of Finance
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
FOI 24-25/104 - Document 2
From:
Johnson, Laura
To:
Hoffmeister, Kelly
Cc:
Lovelock, Grant; Secretary - Executive; Audit and Risk
Subject:
RE: Gifts policy - for action [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Date:
Wednesday, 11 October 2023 6:33:47 PM
Attachments:
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OFFICIAL
Hi Kelly
It’s taken me a while to come back to you on this one, but I want to provide you with an update
regarding Qantas Chairmans Lounge / Virgin Australia Beyond Lounge access.
I understand that Secretary Davis (at Sec Board this morning) has asked all Secretaries, and in particular
Commissioner de Brouwer, to think about the appropriate guidance and policy. And there was also some
need to be consistent on this across the APS given the continued media reporting.
You will see here that PM&C have updated their gifts and benefits policy to declare all current ‘held’ gifts
of this kind. For PM&C (and perhaps it would be useful for you / your team to reach out to PM&C or
APSC directly) they will be updating the policy to declare annually who holds Chairman’s Lounge or
Beyond Lounge membership (as of 1 July, or as changes require). This is for all staff in the department. If
we were to adopt a similar approach, it would be necessary for CSD to have a process that would
capture all the relevant memberships, including potential partner memberships, so that it could be
usefully declared.
Can I leave that with you to provide some advice to the Secretary on whether we may seek to update
our policy in line with others? Given this is fresh from Sec Board today, we may need to give it some
time to align with the broader APS wide process.
Thanks
Laura
Classification: OFFICIAL
Classified by: xxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx on: 18/08/2023 6:48:25 PM
From: Hoffmeister, Kelly
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2023 6:48 PM
To: Johnson, Laura
Cc: Lovelock, Grant ; Secretary - Executive ; Audit and Risk
Subject: RE: Gifts policy - for action [SEC=OFFICIAL]
OFFICIAL
Hi Laura
The APSC Guidance requires all agency heads to publicly disclose all gifts or benefits accepted and
valued at over $AUD100.00 (excluding GST) in the course of official duties. I understand membership to
the Chairman’s Lounge is afforded on a long term basis (although Qantas no doubt retains discretion to
reassess memberships from time to time).
If a Lounge Membership is accepted in the course of official duties, the APSC Guidance requires it to be
recorded on the agency’s Register of Gifts and Benefits. We have previously taken the view this extends
to partner memberships to the Chairman’s Lounge having regard to the intent and purpose of the
guidance (although the guidance is silent on this point). There is no requirement prescribed within the
APSC guidelines to record memberships afforded long-term on a recurring basis (such as a Chairman’s
Lounge Membership). In reviewing the Gifts and Benefits Register of other agencies, I note:
APSC
Peter Woollcott recorded Chairman’s Lounge Membership once in 2018.
Gordon de Brouwer has not recorded any gifts or benefits since appointment (although he
may have a Lounge Membership offered prior to his appointment as the Commissioner?).
DISER
Meaghan Quinn has not recorded Lounge Membership on DISER’s Register.
PM&C
Includes one entry on behalf of James Chisolm with a note:
Upon becoming Deputy Secretary, James was offered a QANTAS Chairmans Lounge membership. The value of a
1
Released by the Department of Finance
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
FOI 24-25/104 - Document 2
Chairmans lounge cannot be estimated, as the membership is only offered to members, you cannot apply for
membership.
Treasury
No recorded Lounge Memberships.
It would be open to the Secretary to adopt a similar approach and not record her Lounge Membership
on Finance’s Gifts and Benefits Register. Alternatively, the next quarter update could record her
membership. The following is an example of how the entry might appear:
We will continue to work closely with Leigh-Anne (and EOs) on the process for capturing and recording
gifts and benefits in accordance with the AAI - Register of Gifts and Benefits | Department of Finance -
Intranet (mercury.network), and happy to discuss further.
Kelly
Kelly Hoffmeister | Assistant Secretary
Legal and Assurance Branch
Business Enabling Services
Department of Finance
P: 02 6215 2594 |
M: s 22
E: xxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
A: One Canberra Avenue, FORREST ACT 2603
Classification: OFFICIAL
Classified by: xxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx on: 16/08/2023 4:11:27 PM
From: Johnson, Laura
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2023 4:11 PM
To: Hoffmeister, Kelly
Cc: Lovelock, Grant ; Secretary - Executive
Subject: Gifts policy - for action
OFFICIAL
Hi Kelly
Following on from the media question we got yesterday regarding the Secretary's Chairman's Lounge
Membership, can I ask you to follow up on a few things?
Couple of things that I would welcome your advice on are:
1/ Should the Secretary declare her Chairman's Lounge Membership?
2/ If yes, then what is the process for declaring this - and by this I mean, is she required to do this
annually, or once off? [Leigh-Anne is across the process of how to declare it]
3/ If yes, what is the Department's process for making sure Deputies who have joined the Department
and either brought with them or been gifted Chairman's Lounge Membership since joining Finance?
Here I acknowledge that in our 2018-19 gifts registry we declared the Secretary and all Deputies for their
membership, but since that time, Deputies have changed. The only exception is I see that Cath's
membership was also declared. But what about Mary? Or Nathan? Neither of them were in the
Department in 2018-19. Could we scoop this process up in one declaration?
4/ What is the process for ensuring the Department captures 'partner' memberships for those
individuals who are not Deputies? Does this rely on self-reporting?
5/ The above process presumably also applies to the Virgin The Club.
Thanks and happy to take your advice on next steps.
FYI - media have Secretary's response, which will be provided to journo now.
Laura
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