Page 5404 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR SPEAKER: Order! Sorry, I did not hear the question.
MR HARGREAVES: Neither did I, Mr Speaker, and I was actually asking it. My question was: what advice has the minister received on the costs of the policies proposed by the Leader of the Opposition?
MR BARR: I thank Mr Hargreaves for the question. Members would be aware that at the conclusion of the last sittings—
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, could I ask you to rule on whether this question is in order? To what extent is the Treasurer responsible for costings of the Canberra Liberals’ policies?
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, you ruled against my point of order on a similar subject earlier today. But more importantly, I give to you the first few words. It says, “What advice have you received?” And it really matters—what advice has he received as Treasurer on any subject?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves’s point is correct. He is asking specifically about advice that the minister has received from his department. On that basis the question is in order.
MR BARR: As I was saying, members would recall at the conclusion of the last sitting week there was a discussion and a motion moved in relation to the tabling of costings associated with the policy announcements made by the Leader of the Opposition at his Press Club address. I indicated at that time that I would seek formal advice from the Treasury and that I would refer the matter to the Treasury for advice.
I have received that advice and can advise the Assembly that the policies announced by the Canberra Liberals come at an estimated cost to the territory budget of $36.8 million over five years in recurrent costs. The basis for the five-year costing reflects the partial implementation in the first year of the policies and then the full budget outyear impact over four full financial years. There is $3.5 million in capital costs. Mr Speaker, if you exclude the fourth full financial year from that impact, you would subtract $8.926 million from the costing, and then you would have an indication for 3½ financial years, not a full four financial years.
It is worth noting that the financing costs of capital have not been assumed in those total costs. Some of the policies that the Leader of the Opposition has announced have been costed before. The Infrastructure Commissioner was costed at around $600,000 per annum, with an indexed amount into the outyears. Although Treasury advise that the level of detail provided by the Leader of the Opposition is quite limited, the costs of this proposal are largely driven by the secretariat size and the level of activity undertaken. So in this circumstance it appears that this costing would be quite conservative, but it is proper that we have a conservative costing. In relation to Mr Smyth’s—(Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, a supplementary.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video