Page 3925 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 15 December 1992
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By putting in the am endment moved by Mr Cornwell, "within limits set by the Treasurer", should there be any unspecified amount of borrowing over and above that projected - the word is "projected" in the budget and the forward estimates - the Treasurer, he or she, would then be responsible under the legislation?
I agree with Mr Moore this time. Even if it is superfluous, perhaps it is erring on the safer side. I do not think it is superfluous. I will repeat myself again. Realising that under the Audit Act the Treasurer has the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the account, should someone other than an elected member of the Executive then, in an off-budget sort of a way, overborrow that limit specified, who is responsible? I believe that the words being inserted by Mr Cornwell will fix up that problem.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (9.46): I will answer briefly on two points. Firstly, the Treasurer and the Government collectively are responsible for this document which is the budget. If there are borrowings in excess of the budget we are collectively, as a government, responsible.
Mr De Domenico: What about off budget, though?
MR CONNOLLY: You see, they just do not understand. Listen, I will speak slowly. "Off budget" does not mean not in the budget. That is the budget. "Off budget" means that the source of funds is not in the budget. At page 167 of the budget is the loan account we are talking about, projected through for the next several years. If that differs, Madam Speaker, the Government collectively and the Treasurer are responsible.
Mr De Domenico, your earlier question was, "Who is responsible if someone gets more money in?". The section that we were dealing with earlier - I had to draw members' attention to this - relates to a requirement of ministerial approval. The Minister administering the Act, the Minister for Housing and Community Services, must approve payment or receipt of funds - that is the key clause - exceeding a certain limit, and the Assembly has said that that limit is $1.5m. So, there is another lock-in there. Before there is any receipt of moneys in excess of that limit, I, as Minister, have to approve it. As for the fundamental question, "Who is responsible?", this is in the budget and the Government is responsible and accountable for the budget.
MR CORNWELL (9.48): Madam Speaker, I do not accept the Minister's assessment of the word "maintain" in proposed new subsection 18(2), which says that the Treasurer shall maintain those accounts under that section. I accept the point that the Treasurer shall maintain it, but I do not believe that legally it necessarily leads to what we are concerned about; that is, that we wish somebody in the Government and not in the bureaucracy to be accountable for the amount of money borrowed. As I said earlier, we have the problems of Victoria under the previous Kirner Government. We have problems right now under the Government in South Australia, which is now Mr Arnold's Government.
Mr Kaine: Who is the present Premier?
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