Page 4331 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 13 October 2009
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course, at the same time, we will have a $77 million asset transfer to our balance sheet—if the proposal goes ahead.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, a supplementary question?
MR SESELJA: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, how is this money currently invested and what interest rate is it currently invested at? In other words, what will be the opportunity cost of the proposed transaction?
MS GALLAGHER: I am happy to get those details for Mr Seselja in terms of what he is asking. Again, I think it is difficult to answer, when the government will make a whole range of decisions through the budget process which will impact. But we can give you a snapshot of where it is at this point in time. I am happy to do that. I should say, though, in the financial analysis that has been provided to—
Mr Smyth: It’s not a financial analysis; it is accounting treatment.
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Smyth says it is not a financial analysis that has been provided. A document that has been provided which outlines the proposal is called “The future ownership and governance of Calvary Public Hospital and Clare Holland House”, and in a document that has been outlined called “Treasury’s financial analysis”, which Mr Smyth now says is not a financial analysis, it looks at four different scenarios of the proposal that we are currently consulting on. I think this is something which obviously the opposition is really struggling to form a position on, which is not surprising.
Mr Hanson: Why can’t you answer the question?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Hanson: If you haven’t done the analysis—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Hanson, your time will come.
MS GALLAGHER: I think we see this from the opposition in a whole range of areas. Fundamentally, this becomes a decision around whether or not the ACT government, the ACT community, should own and operate the second public hospital in Canberra. That is the question here. I know that the opposition are going to try and stumble, and they are going to try and confuse the matter with a whole range of alarmist propositions, including the one that they are obviously starting to run now. But when you look at that financial analysis, and I am sure Mr Smyth has, the impact of the decisions that this government, and indeed any other future government, will have to make about the future of Calvary Public Hospital are significant on the budget. Would Mr Smyth as Treasurer—(Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, a supplementary question?
MR SMYTH: Yes, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, what services will be cut in either health or other areas of government to accommodate the purchase of Calvary public hospital, or are you planning to increase taxes?
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