Ministerial Statement

STATE BUDGET

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:14): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Earlier in question time, the shadow finance minister asked a question about a contingency in the budget of some $400-plus million. it was referred to last night by the deputy leader as a slush fund for government.

I now have the answer to that question. I can advise the house that, as has previously been the case, contingencies are three groups: employee entitlements wage provision, a small investing contingency and a contingency for supplies and services.

The large increase—$141 million in employee entitlement contingencies between the 2008-09 budget and the 2008-09 estimated result—partly reflects the disclosure issues that I have just mentioned as well as the impact of significantly higher than expected wage outcomes, previous agreements for doctors and the recent Industrial Relations Commission decision regarding a work value claim for ambulance drivers.

There is other information that I wish not to provide to the house as it does go to wages but I am happy to have a private discussion with the leader (or would-be leader), the shadow finance minister. But I can also say that the 2009-10 entitlement figure is considerably higher than in previous years as it includes a significant amount of money for targeted voluntary separation packages as a result of the government's announcement in the Mid-Year Review of 1,600 positions to be abolished, of which we make voluntary separation packages one of the mechanisms. That is a large component.

The general capital investing contingency, of course, covers new capital investment requirements that may emerge over the forward estimates period and where specific projects have not yet been confirmed. We keep head room in the budget for urgent and unexpected requirements in the budget and forward years, and I can assure the house that this is not some slush fund as referred to—

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: And gee whillikers.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: And, sir, I wish not to proceed with encouraging people to look up the definition of jeepers whillikers.