What external legal costs, if any, were incurred by any department or entity for which the Minister is responsible in each financial year since 2020/21, broken down by department or entity and by the nature of the legal work (litigation, commercial advice, employment matters, Treaty matters, or other)?

Answer

Corrected reply: I refer the Member to the Minister for the Environment's response to written parliamentary question 9327 (2026). I refer the Member to the Minister of Foreign Affairs response to written parliamentary question 9340 (2026). I am advised that the Climate Change Commission does not categorise its external legal costs by the nature of the legal work as referred to in your question. The Commission's total external legal costs since 2020/21 are provided below: 2020/21: $74,000 2021/22: $775,000 2022/23: $237,000 2023/24: $298,000 2024/25: $169,000 2025/26: $91,000* *as at 25 March 2026