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None . . Page.. 1043 ..

MS McRAE (5.01): Mr Speaker, I similarly add to that list of questions. Mrs Carnell told us that it was very simple; that this money was being moved to there and the sum total was then spent on the Chief Minister's Department, or on this, that and the other. I am sorry, but I do not understand. It is not that simple in my book. We are not continuing old programs. These are new policy decisions that have been taken to amalgamate different programs and move them around. Without the detail, we have simply no idea whether, in that process of movement, there have been substantive changes in the allocation of money within those subprograms which substantially changed their nature and made them, in my book, new policy decisions. You told us 10 minutes ago that new policy decisions were not part of supply. I simply do not understand. I cannot see how anyone can understand, with the absence of that detail as to what is allocated to whom in the new Administrative Arrangements. We have no assurance that there are not new policy decisions that dramatically affect the workings of these areas.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.02): I think that probably the best thing that I can do here, seeing that the information at the level that we are talking about is not available, and will not be, is to offer every member of the Assembly who is interested a full briefing, with all information on the table, by Treasury officials at a time that suits everybody. Then we can show exactly what is happening here. I think that is a substantially better approach than presenting a one-page paper that simply is not going to mean anything. When people get a full briefing they will see what we are talking about here.

There is nothing whatsoever to hide here. There are no dramatic new changes in the way we operate government schooling or non-government schooling or whatever. The information that seems to be required is simply not relevant to the process that we are going on with here. We are very willing to show exactly what is happening in terms of where the money is going, how we are operating as a government, how the departments are operating and what is happening, to any sort of depth anybody in this Assembly is interested in, as always. If at that stage the Assembly wants other information, members can ask for it.

Amendment agreed to.

Schedule, as amended, agreed to.

Remainder of Bill, by leave, taken as a whole

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.04), by leave: I move amendments Nos 1 and 2, circulated in my name, as follows:

Page 4, line 5, clause 8, omit “130”, substitute “150”.

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