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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1491 ..

APPENDIX 1: Incorporated in Hansard on 14 May 1996 at page 1211.

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION TAKEN ON NOTICE ON 18 APRIL 1996

Funds Raised by P & C Councils

MS McRAE - asked the Minister for Education and Training:

Minister, can you explain why in the response that I received on a question on notice in regard to the amount of money raised by the P & C Councils, the response was:

P & C Associations operate as separate legal entities being formed as incorporated associations in accordance with the Association Incorporated Act 1991. P & C Associations maintain separate financial records which are not available to the department. As a result, is not possible to provide the requested information.

Can you explain why I received this answer when in the submission by the department to the Public Accounts Committee that they were given a full attachment, it was Attachment 9 of the submission, headed "Collection rates of voluntary contributions and transitory funds", and details were given of the amounts raised by the voluntary contributions between 1982 and 1994.

Can you explain the difference?

MR STEFANIAK - the answer to Ms McRae's question is:

The Department's submission to the Public Accounts Committee inquiring into voluntary parent contributions pointed out that it dealt only with voluntary contributions collected directly by schools. At page 3 of that submission voluntary contributions collected by P & C Associations on behalf of schools are specifically excluded.

My answer to the question on notice (Number 164) about money collected by P & C Associations is correct. P & C Associations are separate legal entities and maintain separate financial records. Such funds do not become public monies until they are passed to the schools as either donations or equipment.

Contrary to the assertion by Ms McRae, in the debate of 18 April 1996 I did not mislead the Assembly.

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