Office expenses budget

Parliamentarians are provided with an annual budget for office expenses under the PBR Act and a budget for electorate staff travel and relief electorate employees under the MOP(S) Act. Members may also be eligible to receive a budget for privately leased office costs.

You may use your annual budget for office expenses for a range of communication activities including printing, production, websites, contacting and surveying constituents, and advertising. All activities must be for the dominant purpose of your parliamentary business and meet your PBR obligations.

You may only make a claim or incur expenses when all conditions in relation to the public resources are met. There are a number of restrictions which apply to specific resources, such as office expenses including printing and communication costs.

You may use public resources and claim expenses for activities related to a referendum, subject to meeting your obligations under the PBR Act, including the parliamentary business dominant purpose and value for money tests, and any specific conditions that apply.

You can use your annual budget for office expenses to purchase stationery, supplies and publications for your offices, and flags, nationhood material and wreaths for presentation to constituents for the dominant purpose of your parliamentary business.

Most ICT resources provided to you are supplied and managed by the Department of Parliamentary Services. These are provided to you for the conduct of your parliamentary business.

You may claim, against your office expenses budget, signage, facilities and equipment to assist you to conduct your parliamentary business at a mobile office (e.g. a stall at a shopping centre, community fair or market) within your electorate.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have complied with your obligations under the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 (PBR Act) and met all conditions that apply to an expense which you claim.