Department of Finance and Deregulation

The Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation was a federal government department that existed between December 2007 and September 2013. Its role was to help the Australian Government achieve its policy objectives by contributing to four key outcomes:

1. Sustainable Government finances
2. More efficient Government operations
3. Efficiently functioning Parliament
4. Effective and efficient use of information and communication technology by the Australian Government

Department of Finance and Deregulation

Department overview
Formed	3 December 2007[1]
Preceding Department	Department of Finance and Administration
Dissolved	18 September 2013
Superseding Department	Department of Finance (II)
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Canberra
Employees	1,946 (at April 2013)[2]
Annual budget	A$522m (2012)[3]
Ministers responsible	Lindsay Tanner, Minister (2007–2010) Penny Wong, Minister (2010–2013)
Department executives	Ian Watt, Secretary (2007–2009) David Tune, Secretary (2009–2013)

Purpose

The purpose of the Department of Finance and Deregulation was stated as:^[4]

We provide high quality, strategic policy and financial advice to support government decision-making and improved Australian Government financial management.We deliver professional support services to our Ministers, Parliamentarians and their staff, and the Government as a whole.

Operations

The matters dealt with by the Department included:

• Budget policy advice and process
• Government financial accountability
• Shareholder advice on Government Business Enterprises
• Superannuation of former and current members of parliament and Australian Government employees
• Government asset sales
• Management of non-Defence Government-owned property
• Electoral matters (through the Australian Electoral Commission)
• Administration of Parliamentarians' entitlements
• Administration of the Australian Government's self-managed general insurance fund
• Government online delivery and information technology and communications management (through the Australian Government Information Management Office)
• Advice on the Australian Government Future Fund
• Management of government records (through the National Archives of Australia)
• Central advertising system