Page 4698 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
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Under section 19 of the Territory Owned Corporations Act 1990, the portfolio Minister is required to lay before the Assembly a statement of corporate intent in relation to a corporation, within 15 sitting days of receiving it. Under section 20 of the said Act, the statement of corporate intent shall provide information in relation to the financial year to which it relates and to the following two financial years.
Under subsection 19(4) of the Territory Owned Corporations Act 1990, the portfolio Minister may delete from the statement any part dealing with commercially sensitive information. However, if this is done, the Minister is required to lay before the Assembly a further statement setting out the general nature of the material that is being deleted and the reasons for the deletion. This statement sets out the following details of material deleted from the statement of corporate intent: Firstly, all material relating to sales volumes and revenue projections for the linen and waste management divisions has been deleted, on the grounds of commercial sensitivity; and, secondly, certain other material relating to revenue projections and profitability forecasts for all divisions has been deleted, also on the grounds of commercial sensitivity.
My office would be happy to provide briefings on these matters to members, on the basis that they are sensitive and that they be kept confidential; but, as this is a company competing in the open market, as I have said, the information that will be discussed is commercially sensitive. Therefore, I would find it difficult and to the detriment of Totalcare for these matters to be discussed in an open Assembly forum. I re-emphasise my earlier offer, and that is to provide a briefing to any member of the Assembly on the matters that have been deleted from the statement of corporate intent. I look forward to providing them with that opportunity at their convenience.
MR DE DOMENICO (3.20): Madam Speaker, I have read this paper quickly. On page 4 it states:
Since the establishment of the Company as a Territory Owned Corporation the following trading results have been reported:
This is, in fact, the only Territory owned corporation that has continued to make profits. It started off with a loss of $90,000 in its first year; it then went to a profit of $384,000; culminating in a profit, at 30 June, of $549,000. I note that that is in stark contrast to another once Territory owned corporation, ACTTAB, which has reverted to being a statutory authority. Whilst this one is getting bigger, stronger and better than ever, the one that was decorporatised, so to speak, is finding it difficult to make ends meet, according to the Auditor-General.
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (3.21), in reply: I thank Mr De Domenico for his comments. They would indicate that, again, he has misrepresented the position of ACTTAB; but, then again, that is not unusual for Mr De Domenico.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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