Page 2419 - Week 09 - Thursday, 17 September 1992
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Housing and Community Services Budget
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Community Services. It refers to the $2m blow-out in the Housing and Community Services portfolio, which was recorded in Budget Paper No. 3 - a blow-out in the recurrent budget of almost 4 per cent. I note that most of this sum, almost $1.5m, is due to increased salary costs, mostly at the Remand Centre. I ask: What was the actual blow-out at the Remand Centre in 1991-92? Why did the Minister not take corrective action to rein in costs at the Remand Centre during the year? What measures does the Minister intend to take to ensure that we do not have another $2m blow-out in the housing and community services budget this year?
MR CONNOLLY: I would have to do eight times worse before I even approached Mr Humphries's blow-out figures. I am only a learner at this game. The figures show that the community services program overexpended during the last financial year. Much of that is explainable on the basis that during a recession one would expect increased expenditure in a number of areas, and it is all set out there. I do not have the precise breakdown on the costs of the Remand Centre, although I will obtain them and provide them to Mr Humphries.
Mr Humphries: Is there a rise in crime?
MR CONNOLLY: No, Mr Humphries. Increased expenditure on concessions, which is itemised there, was one of the major areas. There was increased expenditure for the purchase of prison services in New South Wales. As I understand it, the Remand Centre additional expenditure did occur as a result of employing people to staff the psych cells who were brought on stream before the psych cells were completed. I will get a breakdown of those figures.
I understand that Mr Humphries is currently proceeding through an FOI request to obtain that data. If he had asked me, either in the chamber or on notice, I would have given him the information. If he chooses to go through another forum - - -
Mr Berry: Or if he had been into the Estimates Committee.
MR CONNOLLY: Or at the Estimates Committee. I understand that at least Mr Humphries is on parliamentary business when he is not here, which is perhaps more than some others could say. I will get a breakdown on the Remand Centre expenditure. As I understand it, it does relate to staffing arrangements in advance of the psych cells being on stream. The psych cells, however, are now on stream; they commenced operation, I think, on 2 September. I would have preferred them to have been completed earlier. I was told that they would be completed earlier. When we came into government the expenditure on the psych cells was well and truly committed. For a range of reasons, principally related to a few breakdowns, a few changes in the plan, they were opened later than was expected.
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