Page 4151 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 23 October 1991
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MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Duby! I have a problem that we seem to be getting into the habit of asking questions that are really relevant to the Estimates Committee and should be asked of the chairman of that committee once its report is brought down.
Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: The Estimates Committee is a forum for eliciting information upon which members may question the Government, surely.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, you are absolutely correct, Mr Collaery. The committee is still deliberating and it will bring down a report. And until that - - -
Mr Collaery: But that does not disable this Assembly, Mr Speaker - speaking to a point of order.
MR DUBY: My question is not about any answer given by Mr Wood to the Estimates Committee. It is about a statement made in the Estimates Committee that the Government has no idea of the number of employees that it actually has. I believe that that statement was made quite categorically. My question to Mr Wood - and of course I am giving notice to the other Ministers; I am going to ask the same question of them, as time goes on - is: Would he be able to enlighten us as to the actual number of people employed within his departmental responsibilities? In particular, I am interested in the number of employees within the Department of Education and the number of employees within the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning.
MR WOOD: I will make use of two papers here. In the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning the total number of employees is 1,257. The total number of employees in the Department of Education and the Arts - and of course these are predominantly teachers - is 5,939. We look after them very well too, I might say, and I believe that they also provide good value for the money we pay them.
MR DUBY: My supplementary question is: How did Mr Wood know that I was going to ask the question?
MR WOOD: I did not know that you were going to ask the question, but you would not be surprised to know that the Government was aware that these sorts of questions could well be asked. I indicate that you may ask questions concerning the other departments today, if you like, and you will get an answer.
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