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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 219 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the December monthly financial reports, even if those opposite do not like it, show that that improvement is continuing. They show that the Territory's operating loss for the six months to the end of December was $78m, some $70m better than anticipated in the budget. This is a good result for the Territory and reflects in part the improvements in financial - - -

Ms McRae: Where is it?

MRS CARNELL: Straight after question time you will get it, and you got the press release this morning. They show that the improvements in financial controls are continuing to occur.

Mr Speaker, that does not in any way mean that somehow the ACT is out of the woods. The fact that we are tracking $70m better than expected certainly does not mean that we are flush with money; it means that the operating loss in fully accrued terms is not as great as forecast. That is really good news for the ACT and makes Mr Whitecross's comments that we somehow should rejig the budget totally ridiculous. Because this is the first year of a completely new financial system, it is too early to predict exactly what the full year result will be, but we are very confident that the budget will come in on target. In fact, we are very confident that it will come in better than that, Mr Speaker. Revenues in most key areas, as everybody would be aware, including payroll tax, rates, stamp duties, gambling taxes and returns from Territory-owned corporations, are all higher than forecast; and spending in most government agencies is actually close to budget forecasts.

I think that is all very good news for the Territory, Mr Speaker, and it would be really good if those opposite, for a change, actually applauded that and said thank you to the OFM officials and to all of those people who are working so hard to put the ACT ahead of the rest of Australia in financial reporting terms. Again, I notice that they laugh. The reality is that it is true. They have put this Assembly, this Government, ahead of the rest of Australia. Nobody in this place has - not me, as Treasurer; none of you. They have done it. What I would like to see is an apology from both Mr Whitecross and Mr Berry. Yes, I know it will not happen; but I think they should apologise to those officials whom they have mocked. I also think Mr Berry should apologise for his so-called health blow-out. As he will see from the documents, wrong again, Mr Berry.

MR BERRY: My question is to Mr Humphries, the Minister for Planning. Mr Humphries, what advice did the Gungahlin Development Authority receive which concluded that an enclosed oval was not viable in Gungahlin? At what point in the tender process was this advice given, and from whom was it received?

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