Page 1798 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994
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the Housing and Community Services component of the Attorney-General's Department and 30 per cent for the remainder of that department, 25 per cent for Urban Services, 18 per cent for Education and Training, 29 per cent for Health and 50 per cent in the Treasurer's Advance.
It is not surprising that the reductions vary on a program by program basis, but I wish to seek further clarification, as Mr Kaine has, on a number of matters. The first is the increase of $3,392,300, or 11.5 per cent, in the ACT Treasury appropriation. I note that while the allocation for recurrent expenditure has dropped by about $5m the appropriation for capital expenditure has increased from $150,000 for 1993-94 to $7,260,000 for 1994-95, and I would like the Chief Minister to address this increase in her speech in reply to this debate, if she is able to do so. I also note the sum of $7,313,000 as the appropriation for the Department of Public Administration, and I would also like the Chief Minister to further explain this substantial appropriation.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I take pleasure in supporting the Government's 1994-95 Supply Bill and, in so doing, renew the commitment I made in the lead-up to the 1992 election to guarantee stable government by guaranteeing the passage of the Supply Bill.
MR DE DOMENICO (4.48): I have a couple of questions that I would like the Chief Minister to clarify my thoughts on. Firstly, she mentions in her speech:
Additional allowances have been made for full year Comcare premiums payable during supply.
I would be very interested in knowing how much the full Comcare premiums are this year. Secondly, we note also the establishment of a new sport and recreation programs and facilities trust account to the tune of some $4.5m in round figures. I would also be interested in knowing whether that reflects the fact that we are setting up a trust account that for a full year is going to have an appropriation of about $18m or what that trust account is going to do. Thirdly, we note also that, as in the past, the Chief Minister has included additional funds in the Bill as a contingency. Perhaps she can elaborate on what some of those contingencies might be and how much of the $515m has been set aside for all such contingencies. As Mr Kaine, the shadow Treasurer, said, the Opposition will not be opposing the Bill.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.50), in reply: Madam Speaker, I thank members for their comments on the Supply Bill. I would like, first of all, to respond to some of the points that Mr Kaine raised, the main one of which was why we were appropriating some $515m for an apparently reduced supply period. Madam Speaker, it is the case that under the earlier budget timetable I would expect the Appropriation Bill to be passed very much earlier than it has been in previous years, but I was not prepared to take a risk with it. For that reason I have erred somewhat on the side of caution by allowing in the Supply Bill some four months' expenditure. I think that is a reasonable thing to do. It in no way means that we are going to spend all of that money before the Appropriation Bill is passed. It is merely a precaution that I have taken and also a gesture towards the Estimates Committee, whose work I do not wish to pre-empt. I have done it in the face of this being the first occasion when we have had an earlier budget.
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