Page 434 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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and damages payments that have to be made. Again, the territory does not have a choice on these payments. We cannot not pay damages orders or outstanding legal fees. Furthermore, it is essential that there be adequate funds made available for judicial disputes and access to the full range of legal options provided.
Another major contributor to this expenditure mentioned by the government was the need to spend more money on victims services and compensation claims. We feel it is entirely appropriate that provision be made to compensate victims and help them to put their lives back together.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Treasurer, Minister for Health, Minister for Community Services and Minister for Women) (9.45): I will briefly add to what Minister Hargreaves said in relation to the transitional expenses for the Alexander Maconochie Centre. These payments are in accordance with the current agreement with New South Wales Corrective Services for the housing of ACT prisoners and cover the period or the revised schedule of the commissioning, starting in February, with completion in April. They have been offset to some extent by savings in the operating costs in areas such as food, education and work. That has already been factored in. As other members have said, we will be seeking to pursue our rights under the contract in relation to the impact of the delays.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (9.46): As always, you can rely on Mr Hargreaves to make your case. He says these payments have to be made in this financial year. That is probably true. There are 6½ months left in this financial year. This is borne out by the fact that it is now almost 10 to 10 on Thursday night on the last sitting day and we are rushing this through because we have not had the proper processes. Perhaps the minister has more of a sense of this: when are these payments actually due? I assume you have not had the bills presented at this stage.
Mr Hargreaves: The services will be over.
MR SMYTH: The service is ongoing; I understand that.
Mr Hargreaves: No, they will be completed this financial year.
MR SMYTH: But the question is: what is the payment structure, when are these bills due and do you need this money before Christmas? Would it be feasible to have a third appropriation bill so that, instead of using a Treasurer’s advance, we come back and have an appropriation bill? That is a fine thing to do, but the whole point, again, is that much of this bill was sold on urgency. This does not sound urgent to me, if it has got to be paid within this financial year. So if we could have a payment schedule, that would be nice to know. I thank you again, Mr Hargreaves, for making my case.
The other thing Mr Hargreaves said quite flippantly was that, if we bung the prisoners in, they will run away. One would assume there are guards on duty at the prison, so is Mr Hargreaves now saying there are not enough guards or there are no guards on duty and therefore we are not incurring expenses? It is nice to have the flip, throwaway lines; that is okay, and no doubt we will have a commentary from the minister again. Treasurer, if you can answer this, as you seem to be able to do so far more sensibly: is
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