Page 2519 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 6 August 2013
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MS BURCH: Mr Hanson continues to interject, ill informed as usual. The question is now for Mr Hanson and for Mr Doszpot: where do you stand on better schools? I welcome you both to join me in a unity ticket in making sure that we have the better schools reform funded and implemented here in the ACT.
MADAM SPEAKER: Before I give Mrs Jones the call, I would like some level of civility in the chamber.
Budget—savings
MRS JONES: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, the budget noted that approximately 21 per cent of the government’s savings measures will come from procurement whole-of-government savings. Unlike the other savings initiatives, figures for the procurement whole-of-government savings were cited in round figures. Treasurer, as these savings make up 21 per cent of the government’s savings measures, if unrealised how much will this delay the government’s goal of achieving an operating surplus by 2015-16?
MR BARR: It would not impact. The government will, over the course of the next few budgets, make the necessary decisions in order to ensure the ongoing growth of the territory economy to respond to prevailing economic circumstances. Should, for example, there be a change of government federally next month then we would of course need to respond to the agenda of an incoming government. That would certainly impact upon the territory economy. We would seek to make policy adjustments commensurate with that impact. We will of course seek, through the procurement of goods and services, to achieve value for taxpayer dollars.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Minister, what assumptions were used for these savings, given that they are such neat round figures?
MR BARR: Targets for improved performance, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, what are some of the specific initiatives that have been identified to achieve the savings listed in the line, “Procurement—whole-of-government savings”?
MR BARR: Seeking alignment of purchasing across directorates, seeking to get better prices from suppliers, more efficient purchasing and timing of purchases across the procurement cycle, seeking to control demand for particular supplies across ACT government directorates and ensuring that when we go into the marketplace we are seeking the best outcomes from particular suppliers.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Ms Porter.
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