Page 976 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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I have indicated that in connection with the hospitals I have granted the money that would normally be made available during the course of the year to cover national wage case increases, and also in the case of the hospitals to make up the shortfall in their revenues due to the smaller number of private patients that have been admitted. Revenue from that source has been less, and since we offset that revenue against the moneys that the Government provides, I have made up that shortfall.
Mr Wood: So, there has been some blow-out?
MR KAINE: Only the national wage case increases which are normally provided and for which the Government makes provision every year. It is not given to people in their budgets. It is held back in Treasury and is made available as required. In the second case, where there is an unexpected shortfall in revenue because of a lesser number of private patients booking into our hospitals, since that expected revenue is offset against the money that the Government provides, it is necessary that the Government make up that amount of money.
No other claim has been accepted from any department for additional funds at this stage, and I have made it quite clear that any Minister that wants additional funds is going to have to come to me with a properly documented bid and there is going to have to be justification and there is going to have to be an explanation as to why at this stage of the year they find that they do not have enough money to meet the commitments that they entered into at the beginning of the year. The budget is developed in Cabinet and Ministers know what the available funds are and, as I explained earlier, so do all of the managers that are subordinate to them. I am not about to simply sign another cheque without proper and full justification.
MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, is it your expectation, then, that Mr Collaery will keep to the target when his budget is concluded?
MR KAINE: It is my expectation that, when in one element of a Minister's budget there is a requirement for additional funds, he should first of all look across his whole portfolio area to see where offsets can be made within his budget, because there are ups and downs in the course of the year. There are not all ups; there are downs as well. I expect the Ministers to manage their budgets properly and to balance the funds within the allocation that is made to them. If they have an underexpenditure in one area, or an increase or decrease in revenue, then they should offset that against other elements of their budget before they come to me and ask me to make additional funds available out of the Treasurer's Advance.
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