![Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo, Governor-General David Hurley and Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services Rob Stefanic. Pictures by Karleen Minney, Elesa Kurtz, Keegan Carroll Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo, Governor-General David Hurley and Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services Rob Stefanic. Pictures by Karleen Minney, Elesa Kurtz, Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/bwXFZWxdusWHsaYjdHyRzz/5124b8fa-4ebf-47e2-be61-3121674e22d7.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's Senate estimates week and if you've been to this rodeo before, you'll know there's a lot to keep abreast of.
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Monday's estimates hearings covered the Home Affairs, Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Climate Change departments.
Let's catch you up to speed.
Home Affairs 'captured by leftist ideology', senator suggests
South Australian senator Alex Antic, who is known for his conservative views, used his allotted question time to ask Home Affairs Department secretary Mike Pezzullo whether his department had been "captured by leftist ideology".
Governor-General's charity links queried
Greens senator David Shoebridge has queried why a charity, which controversially received an $18 million grant from the Morrison government, still has ties to the Governor-General.
The Australian Future Leaders Foundation received the multimillion-dollar grant after Governor-General David Hurley lobbied then-prime minister Scott Morrison to back it.
Parliament House tours 'not for profit'
The head of the Department of Parliamentary Services insists there is no attempt to generate a profit through charging the public for specialist tours of the People's House.
Rob Stefanic has defended the shift last July to charge for tours of Parliament House, which is one of the most visited public buildings in the Canberra region, during an appearance at Senate estimates, while also defending plans to increase the cost of public parking.
Lapsing of Nauru arrangements 'regrettable'
The expiration of arrangements allowing Australia to use Nauru for offshore immigration detention was "regrettable" and "should not have occurred", one of Australia's top bureaucrats has conceded.
Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said his department had been aware the Nauru instrument was expected to expire in October last year as far back as January 2021.
Cookers taking up less of ASIO's time
COVID-19 and vaccine-related violence and angst is on the decline months after most mandates were lifted, Australia's top spy has said.
Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess said the number of cases his agency was dealing with relating to anti-vaccine mandates and COVID-19 conspiracies, sometimes referred to as "cookers", had "reduced significantly".
Climate change dept's four-EV fleet
Eighty per cent of electric vehicle owners charge in the home, but public servants who drive a Commonwealth fleet car may still be looking for a place to plug it in, according to a senate hearing.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is in the process of switching over vehicles and currently has 33 EVs in its fleet, but only four are passenger vehicles.
READ MORE ON SENATE ESTIMATES:
- David Shoebridge raises questions about Australian Future Leaders Foundation's links to Governor-General David Hurley
- Department of Parliamentary Services defends charging for tours of Parliament House, increasing parking fees
- Home Affairs' Mike Pezzullo admits Nauru sunsetting administrative error 'regrettable'
- ASIO head Mike Burgess says 'cookers' are taking up less of its case load
- Climate Change Department only has four electric passenger vehicles in its fleet
- ANALYSIS: Climate change is no 'comedy' despite Senator Alex Antic's best efforts