Page 1806 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 18 October 1989

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


There is no intention at this stage to release names or numbers of participants, as it is desired that each proposal be assessed on its own merits without the assessment panels having to suffer a media or a lobbying campaign. It is a confidential process that was followed in the past by the Parliament House Construction Authority and the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority. Mr Speaker, you would be aware - I think all members would be aware - that the Government has indicated its desire to obtain the very best possible project without accusations of pressure or bias, and that is the process that we will be following.

MR COLLAERY: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Chief Minister, it was a long question, but did you answer the question as to when the casino authority appointment process will commence?

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, may I defer to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education on that particular question?

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

MR WHALAN: There will not be any appointments to the casino surveillance authority until after the initial processing of the expressions of interest, and that is designed to avoid the involvement in the surveillance authority of anyone who may have some interest in one or other of the expressions of interest.

Assembly Budget

MR HUMPHRIES: My question also is to the Chief Minister. I refer her to the television interview she gave the day after her budget was delivered, from which I quoted at question time yesterday. I quote again from that interview, this time in reference to the budget for the Assembly. She said:

That $4.5m is the cost of the Assembly itself rather than of the Government, and the Assembly arranges its own budget. It's not up to the Government to set the Assembly's budget.

I repeat that: "It's not up to the Government to set the Assembly's budget".

I ask the Chief Minister: is the process for determining the Assembly's budget not precisely the same as it is for every other area of the Administration? Does the Speaker of this Assembly not make bids for funds in the same fashion as department heads? If it is not up to the Government to set the Assembly's budget, who is it up to?

MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Humphries for that question. The context in which I answered that question is important


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .