Page 877 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 27 February 2013
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because we do not pay it back. It is taxpayers’ money. The taxpayer will pay it back. At some stage, the taxpayer always pays for what the government does. What we have got here is a government who is refusing to take the advice of the Auditor-General. I expect that the Treasurer will stand up in a little while and not be able to detail any of these efficiencies that they intend to put in place. I suspect that he will not be able to say which projects will be delayed.
There are so many projects there that are delayed already. As Mr Wall pointed out yesterday, the Aboriginal healing farm is about five years late. They spout how interested they are in addressing issues affecting Aboriginal health and wellbeing. But here is a healing farm that they are going to build in a spot that the Indigenous people did not want because they hoped to be at Ingledene Pines right down on the Murrumbidgee, and it is five years late.
Where is the youth mental health facility? Where is the secure mental health facility? Let me go through the list of significant projects that have been delayed. There is the delivery of the prison and the delivery of the Gungahlin Drive extension. It was five or six years late and four times the cost. There is the delivery of the Tharwa bridge.
You cannot trust this government on finance. This government do not budget to live within their means. Now we have a simple request before them. I wait with bated breath for the Treasurer to tell us the details of the impact of these measures on the community as he drives savings and efficiencies in the ACT public service.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for Tourism and Events and Minister for Community Services) (5.19): I thank Mr Smyth for bringing this motion to the Assembly today, and I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that:
(a) in the 2012-2013 Budget tabled on 5 June 2012, the Government had an estimated net operating deficit of $318.3 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year;
(b) in the Pre-Election Budget Update, the net operating deficit was revised to $381.1 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year to primarily reflect increased superannuation expenses due to an accounting adjustment to the discount rate for long-term liabilities;
(c) in the Budget Review tabled on Thursday, 14 February 2013, the Pre-Election Budget Update net operating deficit estimate was revised to $362.9 million in the 2012-2013 fiscal year;
(d) the 2013-2014 Budget will seek to:
(i) drive savings and efficiencies in the use of consultants, advertising, travel and printing;
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