Page 6248 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991

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I think this is an unfortunate record in the history of the Assembly. This little amendment puts the issues beyond doubt, and the Chief Minister - he or she - will be able to say: "My hands are clean. The Auditor-General is not subject to direction from me. He or she cannot any longer say or impute that any directions have been given". I believe that this is in the interests of the current Government for the rest of its term and of good government in the Territory. I ask the Assembly to support it.

Amendment agreed to.

MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (6.09): I move:

Clause 8, page 5, line 6, delete "5%", substitute "3%".

I noted before the dimensions of the amounts of money that could be moved around. The Chief Minister and Treasurer, in her comments in the in-principle stage debate, noted that there was no restraint at the moment. I think that that is even more of an argument why there should be. Further to that, I have done the sums in relation to the totality of the budget. A 5 per cent degree of freedom would allow people to move around $60m without question - $60m anywhere within the budget as they see fit. Even 3 per cent allows them to move $36m, so I think that is probably enough; and I think that my point is made.

Question put:

That the amendment (Mr Kaine's) be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

AYES, 11  NOES, 5 

Mr Collaery Mr Berry
Mr Duby Mr Connolly
Mr Humphries Ms Follett
Mr Jensen Mrs Grassby
Mr Kaine Mr Wood
Dr Kinloch
Ms Maher
Mr Moore
Mrs Nolan
Mr Prowse
Mr Stevenson

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

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