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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4386 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

But, with no flexibility and having this sort of legislative requirement, it could mean that those opposite end up bringing down their budget before the Commonwealth every year, whereas they were extraordinarily critical of that last year. We have now a fairly long amendment from Mr Berry with regard to having a year off and then bringing it on next year or something. Would it not be more sensible to put this amendment on hold? It could be reconsidered by a new Assembly when there was a bit more time to think about what it really means from a rational perspective.

MR BERRY (Leader of the Opposition) (10.58): Mr Speaker, I have circulated an amendment about the timing of the first Appropriation Bill for the financial year. It seeks to omit all the words after "year", first occurring, in the principal Act and substitute the words "shall, commencing on 1 June 1999, be introduced into the Legislative Assembly not later than the day before the commencement of the financial year". It is a pretty straightforward amendment which tidies up the whole matter.

Mrs Carnell complained about the possibility of a Labor government having to bring down budgets before the Commonwealth. We said that it was not appropriate in circumstances where we had February elections. The situation, quite plainly, has changed, because we now have October elections at your own insistence. Mr Speaker, the timing of budgets has changed completely. What this means is that, so far as the election year is concerned, the matter is appropriately dealt with. The amendment I have circulated accommodates the issue and I commend it to members.

MR SPEAKER: You are seeking to amend your own amendment, Mr Berry; is that right?

MR BERRY: Indeed, Mr Speaker. I should, first of all, seek leave to withdraw the amendment I moved originally and seek leave to move the amendment which I have circulated.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: I move:

Page 2, line 28, insert the following new clause:

"Timing of first Appropriation Bill for financial year

By omitting all words after "year" (first occurring) and substituting "shall, commencing on 1 June 1999, be introduced into the Legislative Assembly not later than the day before the commencement of the financial year.".

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.00): I have to say that I think Mr Berry's memory might be a bit short. Mr Berry actually argued with regard to our budget timing last year. He said that the reason that we should not bring down a budget before the Federal Government did so was that we would not be aware of their policy direction or, in some circumstances, the SPPs or potential outcomes of the

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