Page 3050 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 11 September 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
There has been some indication of concern that abolishing the CDF will result in difficulties for some organisations funded through it. For example, there has - - -
Mr Berry: What is this $21m? I did not raid it for $21m.
MR KAINE: That is what you spent out of it last year. You would not even know. Of course you would not.
For example, Mr Speaker, there has been some disquiet that sport will suffer. It will not. The contribution to community well-being made by sports organisations is recognised and appreciated by the Government. Procedures for applications and approval of grants will remain the same as before - and this applies to all CDF users.
A significant advantage of the new arrangements will be the freeing up of CDF revenues for allocation to a wider range of community purposes than is allowed under the existing conditions of the fund.
Mr Berry: What about the capital money? Where has it gone?
MR KAINE: The Government has already had access to $2.6m from this source to fund a number of worthy initiatives which might otherwise not have been funded this year - and if you listen, Mr Berry, you will find out.
I now refer to reductions in recurrent expenditure. The Government has already announced a number of its major initiatives to reduce its recurrent expenditure, particularly in health and education.
The proposed capital works program - apart from the details of the hospital redevelopment project - has also been subjected to scrutiny by the Assembly Committee on Planning, Development and Infrastructure. This process gave the community the opportunity to voice its opinion on a large element of Government expenditure - in fact, $262m this year.
I now refer to government schools. The Government has been quite open in its approach to the schools budget. It published criteria and voluminous base data so that an informed public consultation could take place. The ACT Treasury conducted a cost-benefit analysis in close consultation with interested individuals and groups; and, after lengthy consultation and discussion, the Government made its decision.
When announcing the school consolidation program, the Government promised to release the financial details in the budget. Accordingly, to enable the community to fully apprise itself on this, my colleague the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts is circulating today a supplementary budget statement which provides comprehensive information on this matter.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .