Page 4570 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 27 November 1990
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MR WOOD: I ask a supplementary question. Things are obviously moving very slowly, whether deliberately or otherwise. Will the Government, Mr Chief Minister, undertake to obtain the two opinions before the next sittings of the Assembly?
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, as soon as I receive your request, I will address a communication to the Commonwealth Parliament. What it does with it is not within my power to determine. If it takes it three months to respond, then I suspect that that is how long it will take.
Transitional Funding Trust Account
MRS NOLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is also to the Chief Minister. Mr Kaine, has the Government received a response from the Prime Minister or, because you as Chief Minister would have written the letter, have you received a response from the Prime Minister to your request for the release of $18.6m from the ACT transitional funding trust account this financial year?
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, my letter was dated 11 September. The Prime Minister responded to it about a week ago. To my absolute astonishment, he has rejected the Government's legitimate request for the release of funds - our funds - for essential restructuring. I say "astonishment", Mr Speaker, because this is despite a clear invitation that was issued to the ACT at the Premiers Conference to make such a claim for the release of those funds for projects which assisted the Territory's transition.
The ultimate point made by the Prime Minister in his response - which, quite clearly, is agreed upon by the Treasurer and the Minister for Finance at the Federal level - is that these projects can be financed by borrowing. I find it absolutely incredible that, when this Government is exercising prudent financial management and is attempting to keep its borrowing down to the lowest possible level, the answer from the Prime Minister is that, rather than release our funds for transitional purposes, we should borrow.
It is quite clear, Mr Speaker, that poor financial management such as has been identified in Tasmania is viewed sympathetically by the Commonwealth and is rewarded, because additional funds have been made available to Tasmania, and the Prime Minister acknowledges that. But prudent financial management is dealt with unsympathetically and, in fact, is dealt with punitively because it seems that, if you set about your business in a prudent way and try to manage your resources and not increase your public debt, then you will be refused your own money. If you waste your money, such as has been the case in Tasmania, then the Commonwealth is only too happy to give you some more. I find that absolutely incredible,
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