Page 4223 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 29 November 1994
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now the Performance and Outcomes Committee, in providing impetus for improvement in the transparency of budget processes cannot be underestimated. There were a number of aspects of this initial process which could be improved, and these have been referred to in the committee's recommendations. The provision of information on a subprogram basis is one such area and is the first recommendation. Madam Speaker, the much greater time available in the lead-up to next year's budget will enable this information to be provided, and the Government will also review guidelines for annual reports in this context.
The Government also strongly supports the need for all agencies to report in a timely manner. However, there needs to be some recognition that the reporting deadlines now required are very tight compared to other jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth. Where exceptional circumstances arise, there may be justified reasons for not meeting the target dates. However, these must clearly be exceptional, with a clear expectation that the time limits imposed will be observed. I believe that greater difficulties could be expected in the first year of the changed budget cycle than can be reasonably tolerated in future years.
The issue of performance indicators addressed in the committee's recommendations is also one which the Government believes must be seriously addressed. As I have previously indicated, the problem is not unique to the ACT, and the ACT needs to take account of Commonwealth and State initiatives on this. A great deal has been achieved for performance indicators for government business enterprises, and significant improvements have been made in the ACT in some key areas, such as the Canberra Institute of Technology. The Government will ensure that further improvement is accelerated in future years. The Government will take further steps also to improve documentation on savings measures. Improvements have been made, and this will be addressed further in future budget outcome information.
The Government will review, as recommended by the committee, the cost of providing training for justices of the peace. This will need to take account of differences in the role of JPs between the ACT and the States. Madam Speaker, I am advised that the training course was introduced at the request of the ACT Justices of the Peace Association and is provided by the Canberra Institute of Technology on a cost recovery basis. The Government will also cooperate with any future review by estimates or performance committees of reports on the effectiveness of diversionary conferencing. The Government supports the essentiality of providing adequate resources for mandatory reporting of child abuse, referred to in recommendation 8 of the committee's report. A number of new policy measures have already been taken on this, including additional funding in the 1994-95 budget to strengthen existing child protection arrangements and participation in a joint Commonwealth-Territory child abuse prevention strategy. Needs will be reviewed further in future budgets.
Madam Speaker, the committee recommended that detailed information be made available to support claimed savings in outlays in relation to the health program. As previously mentioned, in relation to the committee's more general recommendation on documentation of savings - that is, recommendation 5 - the Government supports this requirement. I note that reporting on outcomes does not entail similar constraints to those applied to estimates. Many prospective savings measures, if they are to be successful, must be subject to consultation, including with the unions. It would be
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