Page 69 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 February 2010
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MS GALLAGHER: With respect to the current timetable for the women’s and children’s hospital, I have not been advised of any delays. I know that Health are working hard to make sure that there are not any delays, but it is a big project. I have not been advised of any delays. With respect to the current date, and the last date that I recall for completion of the new part—because the women’s and children’s involves a new building but it also involves a substantial refurbishment of the current building—my understanding is that the new building is due for completion in June-July 2011 and the refurbished part is due for completion in, I think, mid-2012, and currently is on the timetable for that.
Budget—savings
MR SMYTH: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, during the hearings of the estimates committee for the 2009-10 budget, I asked you about the rollover of funds that was set out in the 2009-10 budget papers. I particularly asked about rollovers in your department, which included a $6 million rollover in the restructure fund. You took the question on notice and answered that these moneys were to be issued for other issues with the implementation of the budget plan. Treasurer, why did you not tell the estimates committee or provide an answer in the question taken on notice that $4.5 million of these funds was to be used to engage consultants to assist you to find budget savings?
MS GALLAGHER: Because that was not a decision that had been taken at that point in time. The restructure fund has been rolled over, from memory, over a number of years. It has been there to allow flexibility for government to meet challenges as we work through budgets.
I think it came out of the functional review that a restructure fund be established. Where we do not use it, we roll it over. I do not know what date you are referring to but it must be some time in May last year. A decision on potentially using that, because we have not used it yet, to support the work of the expenditure review committee had not been taken.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, a supplementary question?
MR SMYTH: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Treasurer, when was the decision taken to use these funds to engage consultants to do the work to assist in finding the savings required to balance the budget?
MS GALLAGHER: I will come back to the Assembly with a date. I believe it was in a report to cabinet from the expenditure review committee which detailed the work that they had done to date, the work that was being done across agencies, and sought agreement for use of the restructure fund, should it be required.
Hospitals—waiting times
MR COE: My question is to the health minister. Minister, I refer you to chapters 10 and 11 of the Productivity Commission’s Report on government services 2010, which was published in January this year. The report indicates in chapter 10 that elective
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