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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (2 December) . . Page.. 4388 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

I think that the merit of Mr Berry's amendment stands. It is a merit which has been argued in the past by the Liberals, by Labor and by Mr Moore at least among the crossbenchers, and I think that it is an argument which stands up. As Mr Berry has rightly argued, it becomes all the more imperative because of the decision of the parliament to change the timing of elections. Let me finish by asking a question. If members of this place believe that budgets should not have to be brought down by 30 June, how are they going to deal with the possibility of a government bringing down a budget within weeks of an election, as is possible when the wording of the Financial Management Act is married to the wording of the Electoral Act?

It is our responsibility to ensure that the Financial Management Act says what we mean it to say, and what we are proposing is that there be an amendment which ensures that the budget is brought down before the end of the financial year. We acknowledge the Chief Minister's point that it cannot commence next year because next year we will still have a February election, but next year is the last year in which that argument applies. After that there is no argument against a later date for an election. The last Federal budget was brought down in the first half of the year. The last several ACT budgets have been brought down in the first half of the year, with the exception of the last budget in an election year. I think that next year, which is also an election year, is the last year in which that argument should apply.

MR BERRY (Leader of the Opposition) (11.06): Mr Speaker, I have been advised that, for clarity, I should seek leave to insert, "4A. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended" before the words "by omitting". Accordingly, I seek leave to include those words.

Leave granted.

Question put:

That the amendment (Mr Berry's), as amended, be agreed to.

The Assembly voted -

AYES, 6	 	NOES, 10

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

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