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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 175 ..

MR BERRY: You can break it down and supply it in much the same way in the context of the new system. Mr Speaker, it is very clear that Mrs Carnell, with her new approach to financial management, is keeping financial information which was provided in the quarterly reports before away from the eyes of people in this Assembly.

Mrs Carnell does raise the fact that the monthly reports do not include public health reports. You should include those in the quarterly reports. Now we come to a very important issue.

Mr Humphries: That is not in your motion, though, Wayne, is it?

MR BERRY: It is, because "quarterly reports" is included, Gary, if you bother to read the motion.

Mr Humphries: But that is not what you are asking for. You are asking for old-style reports, but you are just saying "quarterly reports".

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries interjects, "You are asking for old-style reports". It does not say "old-style". Do not put words into my mouth. Mr Speaker, then we look at the monthly reports which are provided by this Government, which they claim to be the best thing since sliced bread. They are only preliminary figures. This Government provides only preliminary figures in relation to a whole range of issues. Let us look at some of them.

Mrs Carnell: That is not true.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell says that it is not true. Look at Table 3 in the November report, "Non-In-patient Statistics by Service". For "Occasions of Service as at November 1996", it states:

Preliminary figures only.

We are never provided with final figures. They are preliminary figures only. You do not get the final figures. Each time you refer to them you just get a mouthful of abuse in relation to the matter, in any event.

Mr Humphries: You get them in the next month's figures.

MR BERRY: They are preliminary figures for the whole lot, if you look. Mr Speaker, there is a proliferation of "preliminary figures" throughout the report; there is not the same level of information in these reports as there is in the quarterly reports. There is no way that you can squirm out of that. If you look at the financial management report to the Legislative Assembly - this is the most important issue - you get one line, Health and Community Care, where you had a projected overspend of $13.6m. If you look at the financial performance report - salaries, administrative expenses, accommodation, grants, legal settlements, cross-border expenses, major plant and equipment appropriation, and so on - that list of expenses can be framed in a quarterly report. I know why you do not collect them - because you do not want people to see them. Mr Speaker, this information is valuable information to see how Health is performing.

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