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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 2672 ..

Mr Humphries: Thirty-seven.

MR QUINLAN: Yes, 32.7. Thirty-seven? Right. That was against a budget of a surplus or a positive return of about $68 million or $69 million. Most of the debate has swung on that fact. I think we have had jests about bottles of wine on that, and I am still looking forward to a 1998 Bin 389 to add to my collection at home.

Mr Humphries: It gets more expensive every time you mention it.

MR QUINLAN: No, it was said the other day-a 1998 Bin 389.

Mr Humphries: I will check the Hansard.

Mrs Dunne: You want vintage 389.

MR QUINLAN: Penfolds Bin 389. It is very nice and it is called the poor man's Grange.

MR SPEAKER: The repartee is all very interesting but the question-

MR QUINLAN: Sorry, Mr Speaker. I think I have explained to this place that, yes, there is a recorded surplus, but it is as much an accident as anything.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you Mr Quinlan.

MR HUMPHRIES: Perhaps I will try another tack, Mr Speaker. Would you concede that, but for the $16 million in additional appropriations to which you have already fessed up, having added to the bottom line of your own volition, from your own promises, the surplus would have been around $25 million?

MR QUINLAN: I will concede that nine and 16 equals 25. You are on the ball. Again, I do not have those figures in front of me, but I do have a recollection that part of the appropriation that we brought forward was, in fact, for matters for which the previous government had made commitments.

I cannot give you the exact numbers off the top of my head, but quite a large slice of that was taken up by matters such as the Kendall Airline extra promotional expenditure. A number had been committed to losses brought forward from the V8 car race of more than a year ago that had not been recorded in the actual year. That had therefore contributed to an overstated return the year before that.

No, I will not concede that that $16 million is attributable to this government. In fact, that $16 million and that appropriation bill were the first steps in the process of cleaning up a large mess that we happened to have found. That mess included massive losses in a quarry and a number of unbudgeted items that we have had to bring to account in our budget. We did have to take fairly immediate action because there were genuine problems, and genuine problems, Mr Humphries, of your making.

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