Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 2:24:43 to 2:31:24
Officials provide a breakdown of the $252.6 million spent on the government's response to the NZYQ High Court ruling, including electronic monitoring and legal costs.
Topics: Government spending, Government legal services
Speakers: Andrew Harvey, Hon Jonathon Duniam, Speaker 21, Stephanie Foster, Charlotte Tressler
Okay. All right. Well, I'll leave them for outcome two. Um I go to then the cost related to dealing with the matters related to NZYQ. Is that something we could do with here, or is that something we'd be better off dealing with?
Again, it depends a little bit on the level of detail if it's a straight financial question. Ms. Tristel Green.
It may be a straight financial answer, I'm not sure, but the cost of, for example, electronic monitoring. Is that something that the COO is able to outline to us?
Yes, so Senator, I don't have that. However, our CFO does have a cost breakdown, so he might be able to come in at this point.
Yeah, NZYQ and some various elements of cost related to government response. And the first element I asked about was the cost of electronic monitoring.
So Andrew Harvey, Chief Finance Officer. I just need a minute.
We could start if it's easier, start with the full total cost that uh has been borne by the department.
So the just backing up. So for the 25-26 year, we received 127.4 million in funding for 112.4 million funding for this year. And sorry, what year are you asking for?
What one did you just read?
Did you just say for actuals how much have we spent how much? What year in 2526?
Well, you could do 25-26 and 2020.
So in 2020, 25-26 we spent 88.1 million dollars in uh expenditure on NZYQ related matters.
And that was 2526. And 2627 to date?
Uh we have spent 10.3 million in year to date to I believe that's August.
And the 112.4 that you referenced earlier, is that an aggregate across financial years?
No. So that was during 2526 only.
Would you like to in 2526 only? So what was the 88.1 million dollars?
So 88.1 million dollars is how much we spent in 2025-26?
Yes.
And would you like other years?
Well, yes, I'd love other years, but you referenced a figure earlier on, and sorry if I'm confused.
I went to budget point four. So the the and I was getting mixed up with what year you're requesting. So the budget funding for that for 2526 was 127.4 million?
But you only spent 88.1%.
That's right.
Okay. All right. So as a so expenditure versus what was allocated to it. So let's stick with expenditure then. So 88.1 in 2526. 2627 to date is 10.3. And I guess working backward though, 24-25.
So in 24-25, we spent 103.3 million dollars. That was the year it started, and we spent 50.9 million dollars.
And so do you have a total.
Yep, and so if you add up all of those years through those three years plus the two months to date, it adds to 252. 252.6 million dollars.
To 52.6 on NZYQ. So are you able to then perhaps step us through the cost of elements of that? Um started with electronic monitoring.
Yes, so I've now found that for you. So uh so electronic monitoring in was uh is uh zero in this year, twenty five-26 year to date. Last year in 25-26 it was $1 million eight hundred and ninety-six thousand dollars? And in 24-25 it was $2,872 million? 23-24 was zero, so that's a total of four million seven hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars.
Okay. Uh what about accommodation and support services for this cohort?
Uh I don't think we no, that wouldn't be tracked here because that would be uh sorry. So can you can you uh so I think that's that's not something we track with the NZYQ? Yes. It would be because they're in the detention. Well, actually they were accommodation costs.
If this um settlement support, thanks, Michael.
Senator Michael Thomas, Deputy Secretary of Immigration Compliance. I think your question was around accommodation costs. That's correct. I guess just to frame that, members of the NZYQ cohort can for a limited time access our status resolution support service funding. Part of that can include temporary accommodation for a small period while they particularly exit immigration detention. That number that have accessed that has fluctuated over the years.
Okay. Because that takes in other groupings of people. Okay. Perhaps on notice, then if you're able to notice another would be helpful. But then any cost associated with their detention, is that something we would pick up in outcome three? Yeah, okay. Well we'll come back to that later on. Operation AGIS. Is that something we can talk to the cost of here?