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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 1933 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

In 1995-96, the Government did not provide comparative figures. The Estimates Committee recommended they do so the following year. The Government's explanation for the exclusion was the changed administrative arrangements. Then, the next year, 1996-97, the budget papers did not contain comparative figures. The excuse was the change to accrual-based accounting. The Estimates Committee again recommended that the Government provide comparative figures. The Government, in its response, agreed. The Government's response said that the Government always intended to provide comparative figures at the output class level as part of the 1997-98 budget. But where are they? The 1997-98 budget, once again, did not contain the comparative figures. The committee was forced to reiterate, in the strongest possible terms, the recommendation of the past two reports.

In the Government's response this year the Government has agreed in principle only, downgraded from agreed last year. Also I simply cannot miss the chance to read to the Assembly the Government's excuse for not providing comparative figures this year:

... there are logistical reasons and presentational difficulties inhibiting the inclusion of additional information in current Budget documentation.

The inclusion of an additional column in future Budget papers to provide this information would require a reduction in typesize to fit within the present page format, resulting in difficulty for most readers. Alternatively, the conversion of single page tables from portrait to two-page landscape presentation to accommodate the additional column would generate a significant expansion in the size of Budget Paper 4.

Yes, Minister! Obviously, the Government was low on imagination, given that they had to come up with an excuse for the third year running for the deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny. It is disappointing and downright contemptuous that the Government has consistently ignored the Estimates Committee's call for comparative figures. At least if we had comparative figures we would be assured that the Assembly could properly scrutinise the budget and make the Government accountable. Labor will provide comparative figures and will not hold the recommendations of the Estimates Committee in contempt, as the current Treasurer has done for three years running.

With regard to superannuation, Mr Speaker: The last three Estimates Committee hearings have delved into the issue of superannuation and the Territory's short- and long-term liabilities. I will have more to say about that a little later. The Auditor-General, in the report on the Territory's operating loss last year, reported that this liability has become a considerable burden for future generations of Canberrans. This is a very serious concern, but what has the Government done? Since the recommendations of the Estimates Committee last year that the Government agreed to, the Treasurer was in a position to present a glossy account of superannuation liability - not the short- and long-term strategies that had been recommended by last year's Estimates Committee. While they agreed, they actually did nothing to produce the short- and long-term strategies which had been recommended.

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