House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time State Budget STATE BUDGET Mr GRIFFITHS House of Assembly Goyder STATE BUDGET Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:11): My question is to the Treasurer. How much of the $335 million in contingency funds remains unspent in 2008-09, and will he reveal how much of these underspent funds will be used to cover up revenue losses and beef up the budget balance? Contingency funds are unallocated funds which help the Treasurer to pay for things such as blow-outs in capital works projects and blow-outs in public servants and ministerial staff. The Auditor-General reveals in his report that the Treasurer has three separate contingency lines—employee entitlements, investing contingencies and other payments—which can be allocated to any purpose the government chooses. An honourable member interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly Port Adelaide Deputy Premier Minister for Industry and Trade Minister for Federal/State Relations The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:12): If we agreed with the member for Unley there would be no contingencies left for wages. He would give it all to the teachers—and a lot more. An honourable member interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: That's fine; I don't care. I am not in this business for popularity. As long as 50.1 per cent of people in Port Adelaide, Parafield Gardens, Mawson Lakes, Rosewater, Ottoway, Gillman, Wingfield, Dry Creek and St Kilda like me, that's good enough for me. Ms Portolesi House of Assembly Ms Portolesi: Is that near Andamooka? The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, it's not: it's in the Coorong. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Treasurer will answer the question. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Thank you, sir. We answered this question in estimates. We keep a large contingency for appropriate wage outcomes in any given year. That was a practice that the former treasurer adopted. We do not put in there 'contingency for wage increases'. You actually try— Mr Griffiths interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I do not know what you did in the council, whether you just put on a notice board, 'We have $20 million put aside for wage increases so come and get it.' The Hon. P.F. Conlon House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Just put it in a jar. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, just put it in a jar. 'It's all yours, stick in your hand and have what you like.' We try to keep secret exactly how much money we think we will have to pay for wages. It is a good negotiating tool. Minister for Industrial Relations, do you think that is a good negotiating tool? The Hon. P. Caica House of Assembly The Hon. P. Caica: Yes. Mr Pisoni interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley will come to order. The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The member for Unley has said, 'Go out there and pay them what they want.' The Hon. M.J. Atkinson House of Assembly The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: How about paying your creditors? The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, the Attorney-General! The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We try to keep that information confidential. The honourable member suggests that the money is somehow used to fatten up the bottom line. The budget is transparent. We have an open book. Members interjecting: The Hon. K.O. FOLEY House of Assembly The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I give up; they are talking amongst themselves.