25778 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Ethnic Communities

25778 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Ethnic Communities: How much, if any, is the total budget in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, for the 2026/27 financial year on artificial intelligence- including costs on training staff, deploying systems, maintaining subscriptions and any other associated costs?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I am advised that as the Ministry for Ethnic Communities (MEC) is a departmental agency hosted by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), that MEC utilises systems, procurement arrangements, and supporting tools provided by the host department. Accordingly, any artificial intelligence–related costs are managed within DIA’s portfolio. I therefore refer the Member to the response provided by the Minister of Internal Affairs to WPQ 25702 (2026).