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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4371 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Remember that everything is being used for the purpose that it has been appropriated for or, alternatively, will be appropriated for. Any shuffling of money has to be accounted for to the Assembly, as the instruments have to be tabled in the Assembly within three sitting days. Everyone will know what has happened. We are talking about an absolute maximum of eight days' worth of money. The instruments have to be tabled in the Assembly. Everybody will know. It is very transparent. It means that managers do not shuffle money, because they have a transparent way to manage appropriately.

MS McRAE (9.57): Mr Speaker, I cannot let this go by. There is an absolute and desperate difference between the end of the financial year and the movements of money within a financial year. I cannot understand how this particular amendment is even allowable. We appropriate from one financial year to the next. That is it - end of story. There is nothing that this Government can draw on for these advanced expenditures, because the money has not been appropriated. That is the point. That is why there is such a problem with this amendment. This is at the end of the financial year. I do not care whether it is one day, eight days or 15 days. I do not care if instruments come in. As I understand an Appropriation Bill, it appropriates money for a financial year, from the beginning of the financial year to the end of the financial year - end of story. This is a whole new story that we are beginning here.

Mr Kaine: Not so. You do not even understand the Financial Management Act.

MS McRAE: You can explain, Mr Kaine, when you get your turn; but at the moment we are venturing into brave new territory here. Every department can have 3 per cent of budget unappropriated for eight days without any guidance on it. I think that we are treading on very dangerous new ground here. Mrs Carnell has not explained adequately. She let slip "will be appropriated for that particular purpose" when she was explaining. That is not good enough. If the Assembly has not appropriated that money, I simply cannot - - -

Mrs Carnell: It happens under section 7 of the principal Act.

MS McRAE: That is a completely different process from that which we are contemplating now. We have had checks and balances on movements of money by way of Treasurer's Advances and very carefully specified processes. We are moving into new territory, into flexibility which has not been adequately explained, which Mrs Carnell will not explain and which she has not given adequate reason for. This is not being done in a way which satisfies me - or anybody else, I would believe - that we will know what the money that we are appropriating from one financial year to the next is going to be used for. We are going to find out at the beginning of the new financial year that we are playing catch-up appropriation with money that has been used, because it will be spent in an area which has not been approved by the Assembly. I think Mrs Carnell owes a much better explanation to this Assembly before anybody votes on this particular amendment again.

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