Page 1474 - Week 05 - Thursday, 12 May 1994
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Professor Alston now again holds the title, although he finds himself in Geneva from time to time. I can indicate that the Government is considering exercising a discretion we have under the Act to appoint a hearing commissioner - a person who will be able to exercise the function of commissioner and conduct hearings, which has been something of a problem. While one may say that we would like to have that position filled permanently in due course, members should realise that, in order for that position to carry clout, if it is to be filled on a full-time basis it would need to be at a quite senior level. Until the workload gets to a point, we are better served having a part-time commissioner who brings some prestige to the office rather than filling it at, say, a senior officer level in the sense of a non-SES job. It would be rather difficult for a person at that level to call in a departmental secretary and read the riot act over human rights issues. There is some issue of balance there. We are certainly aware of the problem.
Casino Premium
MR KAINE: My question, through you, Madam Speaker, is to the Chief Minister. It is not about the Commonwealth budget; it is about our own. Chief Minister, on 22 February I asked you a question about the expenditure of the $19m that came from the casino premium, given that there had been a fair lapse of time since the committee's recommendations went to the Government on that issue. In connection with the two major projects, the Playhouse Theatre upgrading and the cultural and heritage centre, which together consume $12m of that money, your answers were the same. You said that options for the development of the Playhouse and this centre were currently being examined, and it was expected that the majority of expenditure on these projects would be in 1994-95. You would have to concede that that is a fairly uninformative response. At about the same time you did say, on public radio, that you had to get some new costings. That was eight weeks ago. Can you now tell us whether the new costings and the options have been considered yet? If so, can you tell us which option in respect of each project has been adopted by the Government? Can you give us a fairly concrete timetable now for the provision of those facilities physically and for the expenditure of the $12m?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Kaine for the question, Madam Speaker. Yes, further costings and matters in relation to those two major projects from the casino premium have been received and considered by the Government, Mr Kaine. They have been considered in the context of the budget. They will be included in the capital works part of the budget and will be going to the relevant Assembly committee, which I think is the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Why does the Government consider it necessary to subsume this in its capital works budget when the money quite clearly was separate from the budget? It had nothing to do with the normal provision. It was additional money specifically identified for these projects. Is this a way of slowing down the whole thing so that you can announce these projects just before election day?
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