Page 3951 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
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Mrs Carnell: I will certainly withdraw, and suggest that the Minister take note of the facts next time.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Carnell, just withdraw.
Mrs Carnell: I withdraw.
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, my recollection was that the Arthur Andersen projection was $6m. At the time that we were projecting it, we were saying that we were looking for about $6m, down from $9m. The fact remains that we had a much better result last year than was originally projected, as a result of a lot of work that had been put in over many years. The fruits of a lot of the investment on better information technology and better control over many years are starting to come home. So, $5.7m is wrong.
You asked for a breakdown of the $4m administrative expenditure, Mr Cornwell. I will get that for you, and I will provide it to you in writing. I cannot recall whether we answered that question at the Estimates Committee. I know that we answered a lot of detailed questions about breakdowns of that budget, but I am happy to get it for you.
MR CORNWELL: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Minister, I wanted an explanation or a breakdown of the $4m overspend. Like Mr Kaine, I have to say that you have not answered my question yet. You were comparing Arthur Andersen's estimate of $9m and the $4m. I am not interested in that. I just want to know where the $4m overspend in administration occurred.
MR CONNOLLY: No; your point was that we overspent the overall budget last year by $5.7m. I had to point out that it was incorrect. It was of the order of $4.5m. I will give you a breakdown of the administrative costs, which will include the overspend. Of a total bucket, how do you identify what was the overspend? You need to identify the entire point. I will take it on notice and give it to you because, quite frankly, Madam Speaker, I am running out of insults for the Liberals.
Farm Vehicles - Registration Fees
MR STEVENSON: My question is to the Chief Minister. It concerns the plight of ACT farmers and graziers. As members are aware, many farmers suffer hardships brought about by economic conditions, high interest rates and resulting debt; and now the drought. I believe that long ago every State and Territory in Australia granted farm vehicle registration concessions. Leaving aside the value of primary producers to the community, it seems to make good sense, because those vehicles are used predominantly on the farms; and, secondly, they do only about a third of the mileage of normal vehicles. I know that this matter has been brought up with the Chief Minister before; but other people and I are still not sure why, in the 1993 budget, this farm vehicle registration concession was removed. Would the Chief Minister be good enough to answer that question?
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