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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4361 ..

MR BERRY (Leader of the Opposition) (9.15): Mr Speaker, this strikes me as a curious piece of work. It would provide some flexibility for managers, but it sets a precedent which Labor is not prepared to agree to - that is, that departments can anticipate appropriation or supply past the end of the year. It was explained to me that one example where this might be necessary is where, in a normal business arrangement, there is a 30-day payment requirement which would occur after the end of the financial year and the vendor says to the department head, "I will give you a discount if you pay early". The department head could say, "Okay, I can cop that, and I can anticipate it out of my appropriation or supply after the end of the financial year". There was no indication of the times that this might occur or that it could be anticipated that it would occur. I must say that it was a most unconvincing argument to set a new standard where departments anticipate an appropriation or supply at some time in the future.

I know it is always the mood of our highly skilled and intelligent bureaucrats to oil the wheels so that they move more smoothly; but, as Mr Osborne rightly said a little while ago, this is not a business. This is a legislature which requires different standards from government. Government is not a business. The Chief Minister is not the chief executive officer. She is an elected person answerable to this Assembly. In my view, this sets a standard that I am not comfortable with. I have not been convinced that it ought to be agreed to, and will therefore oppose it.

Question put:

That proposed new clauses 8A, 8B and 8C be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

AYES, 7		 NOES, 9

Mrs Carnell	Mr Berry
Mr Cornwell	Mr Corbell
Mr Hird		Ms McRae
Mr Humphries	Mr Moore
Mr Kaine	Mr Osborne
Mrs Littlewood	Ms Reilly
Mr Stefaniak	Ms Tucker
		Mr Whitecross
		Mr Wood

Proposed new clauses negatived.

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