Page 2075 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 May 1991
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Mr Speaker, a further example of this inability to budget properly is shown by the fact that last year's Supply Bill was clearly inadequate. In answer to a question on notice which I asked, Mr Kaine has revealed that last November he issued millions of dollars from the Treasurer's Advance to pay for "wages, salaries, accommodation costs, maintenance and other operating costs, and Comcare premiums", and that was quite apart from the further large sums which were issued from the advance during the supply period to pay for programs or services.
So, a large part of the Treasurer's Advance was, in fact, used to pay salaries. These facts, which were revealed in a relatively innocuous answer to a question, show just how poor the Government's budgeting really is. Last year it could not even get the supply figures right. The cost of salaries, accommodation, and so on, could scarcely have been unforeseen at the time that the Supply Bill was framed. I would refer members to Mr Duby's own statement in tabling the Supply Bill when he said:
This item -
that is, the Treasurer's Advance -
can be used to advance moneys only for expenditure which is urgently required for the efficient administration of the Territory and generally covers circumstances unforeseen at the time of preparing the Supply Bill.
Those were Mr Duby's own words. Mr Speaker, I ask, through you: How on earth could the payment of salaries be unforeseen? What happened? You must have got it wrong in the first place. There is no doubt in my mind that, in fact, they did get it wrong.
Mr Duby: It is not part of the budget. You know as well as I do that salary increases are not catered for in a budget allocation. They are part of the Treasurer's Advance.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Duby!
Mr Duby: You know, it is one of those things like brackets.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Duby!
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am very glad indeed that Mr Duby made such an erroneous point because, Mr Duby - through you, Mr Speaker - the use of the Treasurer's Advance cannot be justified for wage increases after the Act was passed. Section 5 of your own Act allows for extra payments for salary increases. So, you have that wrong as well. I suggest that you go back and do some homework before you start yelling across this chamber at me.
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