Page 3029 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 10 September 1991
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Tuesday, 10 September 1991
__________________________
MR SPEAKER (Mr Prowse) took the chair at 2.30 pm and read the prayer.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Members' Travel Costs
MR KAINE: My question is to the Treasurer and Chief Minister. Is it this Government's policy that members of this Assembly travelling interstate on party associated business should have their travel and their costs paid from the public purse; and, if so, how much provision is made in this year's budget for that purpose?
MS FOLLETT: It is definitely the Government's policy that when members are travelling interstate on government business their costs are met, as was the case when Mr Kaine was Chief Minister. It remains the case while we are in government. I am not sure whether Mr Kaine has a particular instance in mind. If he does, perhaps I ought to hear about it. Members travelling on government business do have their costs met.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question. My question did not address government business; it addressed party business, and I will be more specific. Does the Chief Minister consider the cost of $2,798 for Mr Berry to go to the Labor Party conference in Hobart to be a fair charge against the public purse? If she does not, what is she going to do to get it back?
MS FOLLETT: Yes, I do consider that to be a fair charge. The issue that Mr Kaine raises is an issue of government business and, in accordance with that, Mr Berry's costs were met.
Mr Kaine: You mean Labor Party business is government business. Are they synonymous?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Kaine: Scandalous!
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, if Mr Kaine requires some expansion of that, the Labor Party conference is, of course, government business. As Mr Kaine full well knows, it is the supreme decision making body of the party that Mr Berry and I represent. It is the case that at that
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