- I'd like to ask questions about the style Manual,
which is produced under the auspices of,
the digital transformation agency.
It's something very dear to the chair's heart.
I don't know, she's stated this in public,
language is crucial as a very powerful driver of behaviour
and it's been shown to be influential,
for many hundreds of years now.
So our office recently investigated the origin of
the style manual and we got this advice.
These quote,
"The Australian government style manual was produced
under authority from the Australian government.
It is a government publication,
but there does not appear to be,
any specific regulatory or legislative framework
under which it was produced,"
Is that correct?
- I would need to take that on notice, Senator I'm sorry.
- So, my understanding is,
there's no specific regulatory or legislative framework.
So I noticed that this seventh edition,
was compiled by working group with 167 different agencies.
There you go Senator Gallagher, you're always helpful,
167 different agencies,
some of whom are organisations,
some of whom are individuals,
some are voluntary, some are paid part time.
How much did edition seven of the Star Manual cost?
And what is the annual budget of the style manual unit?
- So I will need to look behind me to see,
if we have anybody with the numbers,
for the the cost of producing the style manual.
(indistinct chatter)
- So just, we'll get the numbers
for you as soon as we can Senator,
but the the actual style manual team is very small.
It is purely on a sustainment footing right now,
which means the sustainment is just minimum support.
So we have a digital edition,
which we have produced,
which you would be well aware of.
Some are very keen still to get paper copies,
as you would expect and lots of
very enthusiastic participants,
but the the investment in the style manual
has largely ceased.
- Well, someone has got to keep going with this,
because there's a document on the website,
that says help us improve the style manual.
So someone collects this feedback and then actions it,
So there is an ongoing cost.
So have you worked at how much it is going to cost
to go through all the federal government business
and implement the changes called in this style manual?
- Yes Senator we have released the latest edition
and beyond that, the feedback that we take,
will potentially make incremental improvements.
The benefit we have though,
with the style manual being digital is that,
it is much simpler for us to make minor refinements
than it is where you have a physical document.
So it is, as I said, a very small team,
it's one or two people, and they respond to feedback
and ensure that the product is maintained
with very small sets of changes.
- So if it's not a referable document
that can be referenced,
how do you maintain the integrity of the document?
How do we make sure that no one
can just walk in and change it when they so want to?
- And so we put controls around changes to the document.
If it's helpful, we'll provide on notice
a summary of the team, the level of change,
and then how we're ensuring that
the actual product is change controlled
in the way that you would expect it to be.
- So correct me if I'm wrong,
the document only exists on a web page at the moment,
there's no printed copy authorised?
- So other than the copies
that we have produced for editing and so on,
there are no hard copies.
- But there's not a copy that the minister authorises
or anyone has authorised or anybody has authorised?
- Sir we had, as you demonstrated many stakeholders
who were participating in the refinement of the style manual
in the latest edition,
I'll come back to you with the details
as to how that process was undertaken
to the point at which this is the specific person
who authorised the final copy
and the how do we manage it.
- And who is the guardian of changes in future.
And what about, has anyone in the government
done the costing of what it would cost to change
thousands of web pages to make sure
that language is complied with, thousands of forms?
Has anyone done the costing of that?
The implementation cost of this?
- I wouldn't have thought so, Senator.
- Okay.
At the end of the development process
did the minister approve the final format?
- Also I'll come back to you on notice on that.
- Okay.
I note that the style manual prevents
the use of the word junior to describe an adolescent.
Have you told all the foot junior footy clubs
around Australia that they have to change
their name to adolescents?
- I don't believe we have said adolescent footy clubs.
- So I'm even told that the word youth,
let me better get this right.
The word youth is okay.
The word young people is okay,
but the word junior or juniors or youths is not okay.
So I noticed the style manual also requires
federal government employees to find out
the user's preferred pronoun.
Now you didn't follow your own manual,
because nobody asked me what my preferred pronoun was.
So, is it more than a recommendation
or is that all it is?
- Senator it's a reference for good writing.
And in order for us to provide that advice,
there is a level of discretion that can still be applied
at the individual author level.
This is good practise guidance that has been updated
to be more contemporary than the last edition.
- Based upon what a lot of people have inputted
but no reference to the English language or dictionaries
or custom and practise of what our language means.
Just a lot of opinions going in.
You don't look familiar with the process, okay.
My Senate motion number 1055 sought to remove use
of gender neutral language from federal government business.
I asked the office of digital transformation
to update the style manual accordingly
and they advised it wasn't necessary
as the specific language expressions in my motion
were not contained in the style manual,
is that still your position?
- I will come back to you Senator.
- Okay, now your web pages are not numbered
for reference in the section on language,
your web page advises use gender language,
to use gender neutral language.
Now federal programmes are being changed
to gender neutral language
and your style manual has given us the reason,
but apparently the department refuses to remove
or qualify this gender neutral requirement,
is that correct?
- Senator, I'm going to need to come back to you with.
- So I've got a few final terms chair,
that I'd just like to check,
which is recommended
by the office of digital transformation
for these common terms, breastfeeding or chest feeding.
- Senator, I have not.
- Breast milk or chest milk?
Father or non birthing parent?
Mother or gestational parent?
My motion has the effect of about preventing this language,
and now your proposing use of this language.
Does that mean you defying the will of the Senate?
It did pass.
- I think it did, it wasn't my best day.