Answers to Questions

THINKERS IN RESIDENCE

240 Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (6 July 2011) (First Session). With respect to 2011-12 Budget Paper 4—Volume 3, p136, Sub-program 3.4—

1. Who sponsors the 'Thinkers in Residence' program, how much is each sponsorship, what contribution do other government Departments make and how much private funding is contributed?

2. Why did this program exceed the budgeted amount in 2010-11 and why was there a significant increase in expenses from the 2009-10 Actual Result to the 2011-12 Estimated Result?

3. What salary is paid to each Thinker in Residence and what other expenses or allowances are paid for?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development): I have been advised of the following:

1. Each residency has a number of partners who are also investors in the residency (cash and/or in kind). Partners are government and private sector. The amount of sponsorship varies from residency to residency. The percentage of public/private sector investment also varies depending upon the issue/topic. Private sector investment in the Carla Rinaldi residency is over 60 per cent of the total budget, but has been nil in some past residencies.

2. The budgets of each residency vary from project to project, depending upon the scope of the residency and the number of partners who invest in the residencies, and usually extend over 3 years. Greater buy-in from partners enabled the scope of some residencies to be extended.

3. Each resident Thinker is paid a negotiated fee for the residency, which is paid in agreed instalments determined by a number of factors, including the global status and reputation of the Thinker, the length and nature of the residency, the number of visits, and the agreed reporting mechanism. The total fee usually includes accommodation and travel allowances.