Page 2541 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 23 August 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
That is a constructive comment. The issue was raised during the Estimates Committee process and evidence was presented there. We also heard of this study at that point. I think that that is a constructive statement. Expenditure of some $3m of the taxpayers' money has been identified, for which we can show very little outcome. It was appropriate to make that recommendation to the Government, and in no way does it indicate that the Government has been negligent. From their studies they are coming to the same style of conclusions, although their conclusions may be slightly different.
Madam Speaker, recommendation No. 29 says:
. the Government extend and expand the Numeracy and Literacy pilot program to a permanent program with appropriate growth funds.
Clearly, the committee considered that this initiative of the Government was a positive initiative. We feel that it needs to be taken even further. Therefore, I consider that a constructive comment.
Recommendation No. 31, Madam Speaker, is about health. It says:
. where expenditure reductions are foreshadowed, that the Minister for Health provide the Committee with full details of where and how the reductions will be achieved.
The committee clearly indicated to the Government last year that that was what was expected, but we still have not seen that. I look forward to being able to see that as part of the second section of the Estimates Committee process when we look at annual reports. Similarly, Madam Speaker, the committee recommended:
. where increases in health expenditure are proposed that the Minister for Health provide the Committee with full details of where and on what additional expenditure will be made.
That is a reiteration of the recommendations made last year. That is the thing that I find frustrating, and that is the thing that I consider most damning of a government - that we have to come back the following year with almost identical recommendations simply because they have been ignored, yet the commonsense of them can be seen. If we were picking on the Government in a political way, purely for political point scoring, I might be able to see an argument; but in each of these cases it is clearly about public expenditure. It is clearly about the best way to ensure that our money is spent in an efficient and effective way.
Finally, Madam Speaker, there is this constructive comment, and again it is a reiteration from last year:
. the Government ensure funding for the Health Promotion Fund is at least 5 percent of the revenue raised by the Tobacco Franchise Fee.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .