Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2127 ..

MS CARNELL (continuing):

I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum. Mr Speaker, the amendments proposed to the Appropriation Bill 1999-2000 only provide additional funding for the redevelopment of Bruce Stadium They do not cover the retrospective appropriations that were proposed in the draft of the legislation provided to members earlier this month. This Bill provides for an increase in the 1999-2000 appropriations. The Bill proposes that the capital injection for the Chief Minister's Department be increased by $27,383,241. This increase will provide $22,383,241 for the repayment of existing loans associated with the redevelopment of Bruce Stadium and for further payments relating to the cost of the redevelopment. The increase will also provide $5m for working capital for Bruce Stadium.

Mr Speaker, the Government will bring forward further amendments to the Financial Management Act and to the Territory Owned Corporations Act to address some of the other issues that have been discussed in this place over the last few weeks and were involved in the initial amendments that we gave to members. For example, legislation is still required to ensure that guidelines issued under subsection 67(2) are subject to disallowance. However, I have proposed these amendments to the Appropriation Bill and a new piece of legislation that we will handle later this day, the Appropriation (Bruce Stadium and CanDeliver Limited) Bill, to ensure that the most urgent and pressing issues are dealt with in the first instance.

Mr Speaker, during the debate yesterday on whether we should have a select committee, members, particularly crossbench members, asked that I get a sign-off from the Auditor-General with regard to the figures. For both of these Bills, that has been achieved. The Auditor-General has signed off that the figures are appropriate and any member who would like a briefing on that is more than welcome to have one, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: The question is: That Ms Carnell's amendments 1 and 2 be agreed to. Members, may I remind you that you can all speak twice to each of these parts for 10 minutes each. I make that statement reluctantly, however, but I think I should at least advise you.

MR QUINLAN (12.44): I would like to speak to the amendments. Is that all right?

MR SPEAKER: Yes, that is perfectly in order.

MR QUINLAN: In case I am not burning one of my other opportunities, if need be. Mr Speaker, I believe that the $5m-plus is new money. I would be happy for the Chief Minister to interject on the number, because she gave a figure of $22,383,241 for the repayment of loans and I got a figure this morning from the Under Treasurer of $21.412m. There is a discrepancy in the numbers in the space of less than four hours, which I think to a large extent exemplifies why there was a need to refer this matter to an estimates committee in the first place. We have amendments coming through which initially purported to fix the problem with the previous maladministration of the highest order. We have now got new money being appropriated through the amendments.

Could someone on the government side just tell us precisely what the figure is? I rang Mr Lilley this morning and he gave me a loan figure of $21.412m. The Chief Minister has given us a figure of $22.383m, so there is the odd $1m floating around there.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .