Page 305 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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made at that time that, of those 64 people then employed by this office under the Commonwealth, only about 27 were required to transfer to the Territory to perform this function. I am at a loss to understand why we took the 64 and what function those 64 people are now performing.
Perhaps the Minister could deal with that question of the number of people that transferred, what they all do, and how we moved from a position only a year or a little over a year ago that we needed only 27 to the point where we needed and took 64. I was pretty sure that it was then said to me, as the responsible Minister, that quite a large number of these 64 people were on the verge of being offered redundancy packages. If they transferred to the Territory, then the Territory would have to pick up the tab when they took their redundancy packages. I do not know what happened after the proposition was put to me; but I would like some confirmation that we needed the 64 people, that the 64 people are gainfully employed, and that there is no question about paying out redundancy packages to retire all or some of them. I think that is a matter that needs to be clarified.
There is only one other matter that I would ask the Minister to comment on. I notice that we accepted a survey depot valued at $1.5m, and some equipment and some data that went with all of that, and that these people are now housed in the Sir John Overall Offices in Northbourne Avenue. At the time that this function was transferred, with the 64 people, which represents a very large salary bill, apart from anything else, was there an adjustment to our budget base, the funding base from the Commonwealth, transferred with this function and with these people? When the police were transferred to us they came with their budget of some $54m. When the magistrates courts were transferred to us they came with an adjustment to our financial base of funding from the Commonwealth. Was there also an adjustment to the Commonwealth's funding base for the Territory transferred along with this function and with these 64 people?
Can the Minister answer those two questions about, firstly, whether we needed the 64 people, what they all do and whether they are all gainfully employed; and, secondly, whether there was an adjustment to the budget base from the Commonwealth? If we are satisfied with those answers, the Opposition will be happy with the legislation and with the transaction.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (10.21), in reply: Madam Speaker, certainly we needed those 64 people. I do not know what figures Mr Kaine has in mind. I received the data when I became Minister. It was certainly a carryover of data from the Alliance Government to the Follett Government. The figure given to me was 64 and these were not all the people at that time in the employ of the Commonwealth, although it was almost all the people.
Mr Kaine, I think, suggested that he was given a figure of 27. I do not know whether he got his numbers transposed or something. All the data I have is that we needed those figures. They have very extensive tasks to perform. The action that developed also requires us to provide some work to the private sector. So, it is not just 64 people who carry out this function but some number more than that, depending on the work that is given over. Mr Kaine, I undertake to dig out the briefings and to show them to you. Maybe you and I can reconcile the figures that we have in mind.
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