Page 889 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 30 March 1993
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MRS CARNELL: I put a supplementary question to the Chief Minister. Does the Chief Minister accept that, if you compare the budgeted year to date figure for the first half of the year, which is actually more than half because of the comments you have made, and the actual expenditure for the first six months of the year, the difference is $10.2m? That is a $10.2m budget blow-out in six months.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I have already cautioned people against using pro rata expenditure as a guide for full year budget outcomes. I will not confirm the figures Mrs Carnell has put forward. It is the case, as I have said many times, that the health budget is under stress, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the increased activity, that is, the increased numbers of people seeking and receiving treatment in our health system, and the continuing decline of private patients versus public patients. Those two matters are continuing.
I have repeatedly said that the health budget is under stress. I think it is foolhardy indeed to project figures to the end of year budget outcome. Treasury and Health are together working very hard to ensure that the health budget is kept on track and that, where supplementation is warranted under the business rules, that occurs in a fashion which can be supported publicly, and that is what is occurring. As to the actual budget outcome, Mrs Carnell will have to wait until the end of the year to get the figures. I repeat that you cannot use a pro rata figure and project it out to the end of the year. That is too simplistic, and it will not be the end of year outcome.
Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Committee
MS SZUTY: My question without notice is to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Wood, and concerns the launch of the Upper Catchment Coordinating Committee, organised by the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Committee, which was held on Saturday, 20 March, this year from 2.00 to 4.00 pm. I received an invitation to attend the launch. However, I decided not to go as the ACT was to be represented by the "Honourable Bill Wood, MLA, Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, ACT". I have since heard that the Minister did not attend or speak at the launch. As a consequence, the views of the ACT Government were not expressed at this forum and it quickly degenerated into a Canberra bashing exercise. I ask the Minister why, if he was unable to attend the launch, he did not send a representative in his place, the Secretary of the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning, Mr Jeff Townsend, being the most obvious choice as the replacement. Further, does the Minister have a policy of asking representatives to attend forums, meetings and functions when he is unable to attend, especially where he has been invited to address those forums?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, it seems that that group got more than one thing wrong. I note the "Honourable". That is not a title we have adopted in this Assembly.
Mr Connolly: Don't sell yourself short.
Mr Berry: You qualify.
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