Page 983 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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budget. There has been a substantial change to that environment—that is, the loss of 10 per cent of our GST revenue every year over the forward estimates. That was not seen on budget day and that has changed the situation and resulted in us sending out further information to agencies. Mr Seselja, if you would like the answer, agencies have been providing, and have provided, to the cabinet, throughout the last 12 months, information and advice about efficiencies within agencies. We are asking them to go further.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary question?
MR SESELJA: Yes, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, how many internal savings strategies have been received to date, how many of those include proposals to freeze staff recruitment, and will you table these strategies?
MS GALLAGHER: No, I will not table them; they are cabinet in confidence. In fact, they are budget in confidence. I can tell you that we have received submissions from all agencies, as cabinet requested.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: Yes, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, of these savings strategies that you have received to date, what is the value of the savings identified by agencies and departments?
MS GALLAGHER: I am not going to go to the individual savings submissions, and I think the opposition would understand why. We are currently putting together the budget. We have received advice from agencies around efficiencies. I refer the member to the budget papers where we have unallocated savings for the next financial year identified.
That is our target and that is what agencies have been asked to provide advice to government on—how to achieve those unallocated savings—because, surprise, surprise, we did not receive any submissions from anyone inside or outside this place about savings ideas for that unallocated savings task.
The agencies have been providing government with advice along those lines but I am not going to discuss them in this place prior to the tabling of the budget. You will be able to see the decisions the cabinet takes on 4 May.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth?
MR SMYTH: Treasurer, have the proposed savings proposed by the department actually met the target that you set for savings in the 2009-10 budget?
MS GALLAGHER: We have received submissions from agencies around efficiency within their own areas. That has been directly linked to the unallocated savings target. The cabinet have not taken any decisions on them, but we have set agencies a target. They have provided us with advice, and now it is over to the cabinet to make decisions about whether those ideas from agencies are ones that we will endorse and are prepared to accept.
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