Page 3334 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 12 October 1993
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Madam Speaker, the suggestion put up by Mr Kaine today is that there will be benefit to the community from an earlier presentation of the Territory's annual budgets, most notably in that area of accountability. It is refreshing to see the Government respond positively to this idea, and also to see that there is general overall agreement on this issue. It is with pleasure that I also add my support to the notion of the process being dealt with at an earlier time, particularly as we provide supply for nearly six months for nearly half of the budget without having set out what is going to happen within that budget.
MS SZUTY (4.36): Madam Speaker, I would like to join with Mr Kaine, Ms Follett, Mrs Carnell and Mr Moore in their comments on this issue. In fact I congratulate Mr Kaine on bringing the issue forward as a matter of public importance for debate today. We have heard in recent times that the Federal Government is planning to bring down its budget at an earlier time than it has traditionally done, and the opportunity presents itself for the Territory's processes to be changed also. I note that the Chief Minister mentioned that perhaps we could have a Grants Commission process in February and a Premiers Conference at an earlier date as well, as part of that general process of consideration of both the Federal budget and the Territory's budget.
Mr Kaine made the point that we really need a longer period between the tabling of the Government's budget papers and the commencement of the Estimates Committee process for it to work at its optimum, and I would endorse those comments. Mr Kaine said that he did not expect the Estimates Committee process itself to take a longer period necessarily, but he did point to that gap between the delivery of the budget papers and the Estimates Committee's consideration of the issues as being an important area that perhaps we could look at in the future in terms of extending the time. I recall that the budget was delivered on 15 September, the Tuesday, and the questioning by the Estimates Committee of the Ministers commenced on the Wednesday of the following week. Given that the budget was brought down on day one of the sitting period in September and we had two further days to go, that is not bad going for the Estimates Committee to prepare itself for the questions that it needs to ask particular Ministers and particular departments.
I note Mr Kaine's preference for times and dates for the estimates process to occur, perhaps commencing in June after the Territory's budget is delivered and concluding in August. According to that timetable, we would probably achieve as much as we are achieving now in terms of the consideration in the estimates process of the Government's budget papers, given that our current timeframe revolves around a budget brought down in September, with a report being presented to you, Madam Speaker, in the middle of November, and then debate on the Appropriation Bill occurring later in that month. I do accept Mr Kaine's point, however, that we may not have a sitting period occurring during the deliberative process of the Estimates Committee. For Estimates Committee members, I think that would also be a change that we could well welcome.
Ms Follett raised a number of issues that we need to bear in mind when we are considering an estimates process for next year. She did note that revenue measures, the budget strategy and the budget would need to be prepared and be ready at the same time. That would be a significant improvement on what occurs at the moment and would effectively link the revenue measures which the Government wants to take with the budget that it actually delivers after that date.
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