Page 3950 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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Health Expenditure
MR CORNWELL: My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and, after his performance today, the Minister for overacting. Again I do not see any peaks and troughs in this matter. I refer to the recently released financial performance report of the ACT Health Department for 1993-94. There are no peaks and troughs there. It shows an overspend of more than $4m in administrative expenses. I would not regard that as trivial either, Minister. I ask: Because this makes up a significant proportion of the $5.7m blow-out in the health budget in the last financial year, can you explain how this overspend in administrative expenses occurred?
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, and before the Minister answers that: I have sat here and listened to a succession of Liberal members refer to the Minister by titles which are quite inaccurate. I would ask you to call them to order. It is my understanding that it is out of order to refer to another member by an inaccurate, misleading or derogatory title.
MADAM SPEAKER: In fact, I had done that with Mr Kaine. I expect all members to adhere to that ruling and to call members by their correct title.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Cornwell is misinformed if he says that the overall overexpenditure for 1993-94 - that is, last financial year - was of the order of $5.7m. As I said, while we actually spent less than we were allocated, the proper way of describing it and comparing it with other years - and Mrs Carnell seemed to acknowledge that, because it is the figure she has been homing in on - is to say that it was of the order of $4.5m, which is down from the $9m to $10m predicted by Mrs Carnell at this time last year and from the $6m or so projected by Arthur Andersen.
Mrs Carnell: They said that it was $9m.
MR CONNOLLY: I did an even better job, Mrs Carnell. I got it down from $9m to $4.5m.
Mrs Carnell: But you fibbed. Arthur Andersen said $9m. There it is.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR CONNOLLY: "You fibbed", says Mrs Carnell.
Mrs Carnell: You did. You said it three times.
MR CONNOLLY: Mrs Carnell, make it look as bad as you like; because the worse the projection of Arthur Andersen was in February, the better my result looks.
Ms Follett: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: That audible interjection by Mrs Carnell - "You fibbed" - ought to be withdrawn.
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry; I did not hear it. That should be withdrawn.
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