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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 3463 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, here is the Auditor-General talking about the ACT's financial position three years ago. Was the Labor Party asleep? Did they not hear the warning sounded by that report? I know that Mr Osborne understood that and I know that Mr Kaine understood that. Certainly, the Government heard that message loud and clear. When the Auditor-General makes the statement that, if the operating losses continue, sales of major assets will eventually be inevitable to provide funds to meet the liabilities when they fall due, why were those opposite so surprised? The Auditor-General has said in this report that if we cannot bring our expenses down at a greater level than we are at the moment, if we cannot raise our revenue, if we cannot achieve operating surpluses, then guess what? We are going to have to sell assets.

Mr Speaker, you have heard that the Auditor-General flagged this three years ago. What would most Canberrans do when they heard that sort of comment from the Auditor-General? They would sit up and take notice because here we have a truly independent view of the problem. But, no, not the Labor Party, Mr Speaker. Instead of heeding the Auditor-General's warning, they got stuck into him, with cheap shots like that from Mr Hargreaves who said in the house the other day that this was one of the smelliest reports he had seen for some time. Mr Quinlan then said that this report was a contrivance. Now Mr Stanhope writes to the Auditor-General and summons him to a meeting to explain himself. In other words, if you do not like what the Auditor-General says, play the man, not the ball.

Mr Stanhope stated that it was of great interest to him that the report by the Australia Institute reached vastly different conclusions - - -

Members interjected.

Mr Hird: I cannot hear, sir.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Please.

MS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Stanhope stated that it was of great interest to him that the Australia Institute reached vastly different conclusions from the Auditor-General. Is Mr Stanhope suggesting that the Auditor-General is incapable of forming his own independent view on the state of the Territory's finances and the sale of ACTEW without referring to the Australia Institute, or, for that matter, to anybody else? As this Government has already demonstrated, Mr Speaker, there are some pretty big question marks hanging over the Australia Institute report.

Mr Stanhope also commented that it was of great interest to him that the Auditor-General tabled his report as the Assembly was debating ACTEW. I think Mr Quinlan made the same comment just a minute ago. Mr Speaker, for his information, under the Financial Management Act, the Auditor-General must provide the Treasurer with an audit opinion on the Territory's financial statements within 30 days of receiving them. As Treasurer, I must table a copy of those statements and the audit opinion within three days of receiving them. The Auditor-General brings down one of these reports, bringing together a whole-of-Territory approach, every year. Mr Speaker, this is the last week of sitting. When did those opposite think the Auditor-General was going to bring down his report?

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