Page 4539 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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Tuesday, 6 December 1994
________________________
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms McRae) took the chair at 2.30 pm and read the prayer.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Treasury - Auditor-General's Report
MRS CARNELL: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Treasurer. I refer to the Auditor-General's report No. 8, which states on page 36:
Treasury did not fully reconcile its bank accounts during 1993-94;
... ... ...
the Treasury financial statements were the most untimely, in both drafting and completion, of all departmental financial statements for 1993-94; and
there is a limited number of qualified accounting officers in Treasury in the areas which are responsible for matters relating to the performance of accounting and financial reporting functions.
Does the Chief Minister agree that this state of affairs within her own department, the same one as is responsible for the overall budget management of the Territory, is totally unacceptable? As Minister in charge, will she take full responsibility for these shortcomings?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I certainly take very seriously the report that has been put out by the Auditor-General. I am unclear as to its status with regard to the Public Accounts Committee. In the normal course of events, the Government would respond in full to all that is put from the Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor-General's report. Indeed, we will.
I would like to indicate briefly that the question of reconciliations was raised during the recent hearings of the Budget Performance and Outcomes Committee. In fact, it was raised by me. Madam Speaker, I have made no secret of the fact that I do not regard the situation in regard to reconciliations at the end of the financial year as in any way acceptable. I had required that Treasury get their reconciliations up to date. They certainly have approached that task with a great deal of vigour and enthusiasm.
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