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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1798 ..
MR HUMPHRIES: I will address the question by referring to the information available to all of us from the Auditor-General's report on the 1995-96 operating loss.
Mr Quinlan: Is that the only information available to you?
MR HUMPHRIES: I know you don't like this information, but I have to make a deal with those opposite. You can disregard what the Auditor-General has said about the operating loss if we can disregard what he might have to say about particular matters coming up in the future. We have a wild card to play against the Auditor-General for the future. Is it a deal?
Mr Quinlan: Answer the question.
MR HUMPHRIES: Is it a deal, Mr Quinlan? I cannot hear. It is a yes/no answer, Mr Quinlan.
MR SPEAKER: No deals, thank you.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the Auditor-General said on the 1995-1996 territory operating loss:
The emergence of the loss has not been a product of the immediate short term-
that is, the period of the Carnell government-
since Self Government revenue from the Commonwealth has been progressively reduced while operating costs have generally increased; and
If accrual accounting had been in place in the past years, the development of the losses would have been clearly evident.
What do you think he is saying about that, Mr Quinlan? Do you think he is saying, "Yes, the whole of the loss developed under the period of the Carnell government"? No. What he is saying is that the loss was built up over a number of years. Prior to the 1995-96 financial year, in the first six years of self-government, the Liberal Party was in office for about two-a year and a half under Mr Kaine and less than half a year when Mrs Carnell came to office. If Mr Quinlan is talking about progressive increases in operating losses prior to the 1995-1996 financial year, clearly he is talking about the Labor government and its contribution to the operating loss.
MR QUINLAN: I ask a supplementary question. Can the Treasurer tell the Assembly the approximate level of increase in expenditure in the general government sector during the Carnell government and whether it has been greater than or less than CPI?
MR HUMPHRIES: I will check the figure for Mr Quinlan's benefit, but my understanding is that the increase in expenditure in the general government sector has been about 5 per cent-
Mr Quinlan: More than inflation.
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