STATE BUDGET

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (15:01): I have a supplementary. Can the Premier confirm, when calculating his GST revenue forecasts, whether he uses the same economic assumptions as the federal government does for South Australia in its budget, or does the Premier use a more pessimistic economic forecast than the federal government does in its budget?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (15:01): No, I do not think we seek to make judgements about the GST receipts that are going to come in based on the level of retail activity, if that is the nature of the question that is being sought. We accept the commonwealth's assumptions about retail activity, which are very pessimistic.

The Hon. I.F. Evans: Population?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The population data comes from the ABS and that gets plugged straight in as well. The only thing that really varies substantially is this effect of washing out, essentially, where we get over the odds or under the odds, in some cases, of funding that goes to other states, and that finds its representation in the GST formula. So, we do not put in our own estimates that vary from the commonwealth about GST receipts that we are going to receive.