Page 4552 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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emerging costs and accrued liabilities. Whilst I acknowledge what the Auditor-General has said, there is only one government in this country that has done more than this one to ensure that superannuation liabilities can be coped with, and that is the Queensland Government - another Labor government. I thank Mr Kaine for the question. It has been a great pleasure to answer it.
MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I find it fascinating that the Chief Minister relies on the achievements of the Queensland Government to justify her own poor performance. That is rather incredible. I would like the Chief Minister to look at the table on page 45 of the Auditor-General's report, which shows that, from 1991-92 to 1992-93, the total liability increased by $118m and the additional provision made by this Government was $34m. From 1992-93 to 1993-94, the increased liability was $108m and the additional provision made by this Government was $30m. Every year we go, the further behind we get. Does the Chief Minister honestly claim that that is prudent management of a very significant major liability?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I have just gone to considerable trouble to explain to members how we could fund our annual emerging liability. In fact, we have done far more than fund that. If what the Auditor-General seems to be implying is that any government ought to be able to completely fund its superannuation liabilities as if it were going out of business - as if the ACT Government ceased to exist and had to retire and pay out all 23,000 of its staff and had to pay out every single dollar of superannuation - if that were ever to occur, then, as things stand, we would not have enough money. That will not occur.
That is the difference between a private company and a government operation. Private businesses can go out of business, but governments are not in that position. Governments continue; governments, whatever their complexion, endure, as has the Commonwealth, for instance. I do not think that anybody would try to tell me that the Commonwealth would completely fund its superannuation liabilities; that would be a nonsense. It is the emerging annual cost which counts. As I have pointed out, we are in a more than healthy position to meet those costs, plus we are putting aside provisions for our future liabilities. We are one of only two governments in this country that are doing it.
Gordon Valley Estate
MR STEVENSON: Madam Speaker, my question is to Mr Connolly and concerns members of the former Gordon Valley Estate Betrayed Home Owners Association. I am sure that the Minister will know that the marketing and development of that estate from late 1990 to mid-1992 was conducted by Realty World and an associated company. I have a deal of evidence to show that, during that time, the company said that there would be no government homes on that estate. As a result, there were above average prices achieved for blocks on that estate. Apparently, the Tuggeranong branch of the Housing Trust knew of these false claims but did not inform the Minister at the time. There are many people concerned that prosecutions were not initiated to handle what would appear to be a clear case of misrepresentation, at the very least. I ask: What can the Minister tell those home owners who feel that justice has not been done?
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