Page 3188 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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Financial Management Act, pursuant to section 18A—Statement of authorisation of expenditure from the Treasurer’s Advance in 2011-2012.
I ask leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Mr Smyth: Oh, yes.
Leave granted.
MR BARR: One wonders at the things that excite the shadow treasurer. Section 18A(3) of the Financial Management Act requires that where I, as Treasurer, have authorised Treasurer’s advance expenditure under section 18, within three sitting days after the end of the financial year I must present to the Assembly a summary of the total expenditure authorised for that financial year. The Appropriation Act 2011-12 provided $31.4 million for the Treasurer’s advance. Final expenditure against the Treasurer’s advance in 2011-12 was approximately $21 million, leaving a balance of approximately $10.4 million returned to the 2011-12 budget.
Mr Speaker, you will note the majority of these authorisations were made towards the end of the financial year, and this is, indeed, in line with past practice. All requests to the advance are subject to final cash requirements. This is only able to be assessed close to the end of the financial year and this is, indeed, good and prudent financial management.
We always look to other opportunities to manage cost pressures throughout the year in preference to providing funds from the Treasurer’s advance. The advance is made available for urgent and unforeseen expenditure. In the 2011-12 fiscal year, additional costs for agencies that were not foreseen at the time of the 2011-12 budget included introducing process changes to reduce the Supreme Court backlog, unforeseen cost pressure in the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate, including the Queen’s visit, President Obama’s visit, the Mitchell fire and ACTION cost pressures, higher levels of activity experienced at the Calvary hospital, cost pressures in the Emergency Services Agency and payments relating to outcomes of the Australian Federal Police enterprise agreement.
I present a summary of the expenditure and commend the paper to the Assembly.
Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, perhaps the minister could move that the paper be noted.
MR BARR: I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (3.18): Yes, it is interesting to get the update on the Treasurer’s advance. Perhaps what is really interesting is some of the things that the minister does not list. It is nice to take the pressure off TAMS by saying it was the unforeseen costs of the visit of the President and the Queen’s visit. But really, when members go to the numbers—and having just received this, it is hard to analyse it in
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