3.8 Gifts - made
This policy applies to Ministers and their staff.
In certain circumstances it may be appropriate for Ministers to provide gifts on behalf of the State of Queensland. This is a normal custom when Ministers travel overseas, but it may also occur domestically when it is appropriate to provide gifts to persons on behalf of the State of Queensland, (for example a reciprocal gift to an official overseas visitor to Queensland).
Ministers should select gifts with both economy and appropriateness in mind (ie. expensive gifts will not always be necessary).
Gifts badged with the Queensland Coat of Arms are available to Ministers (up to a value of $1000 per annum) and Assistant Ministers (up to a value of $200 per annum) to assist them to promote Queensland.
Badged gifts are to be used for official purposes at the discretion of the Minister or Assistant Minister. A Minister may also authorise a staff member to give a gift on their behalf.
Gifts are funded from Ministerial office budgets.
Procedures
Ministerial Services maintains a register of gifts made with a retail value of over $350.
Ministers should advise Ministerial Services in writing when they (or a staff member on their behalf) gives a gift valued over $350 retail, or two or more gifts with a combined value over $350 retail, to the same person during the same trip. This advice should be provided as soon as practical but within 21 days of giving the gift or returning to Australia (see APPENDIX 4 – Declaration of gifts made (PDF)).
If a gift is to be made on behalf of the State, it is strongly encouraged that Ministerial Offices use the online Official Gift Service provider Intandem, which provides a range of unique Queensland gifts. Further information can be found in the Gift Range Policy (PDF, 196KB) and the Guidelines for official gift range (PDF, 533KKB).